FAMHEALTHY Childhood Development from A to Z.

Early intervention is vital. That is why new born screening is really important so we can manage medical conditions if any. There should be parental involvement right away and of course support from the enviroment too. It takes a village to raise a child. As per Dr. Francis Dimalata "It takes all of us to be a part of that village because that child will grow into the child they were meant to be provided we give them the support, love and call out what they do wrong and that is why we have many programs like @bestbuddies_ph" Here are my takeaways after watching the webinar entitled FAMHEALTHY Childhood Development from A to Z. ▶𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 You are not giving birth to a "Down syndrome" baby. You are giving birth to your baby, a unique individual who will bear resemblance to you and your family in addition to some similar features to others with Down syndrome. You don't have to love Down syndrome to love your baby. Focus on the life -- not the label. We celebrate every life and it should start with acceptance. Down syndrome will not define your child's entire existence. ▶𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. Checking developmental milestone is important. Avoid comparing your baby to others for that steals joy. Instead, start listing the things that your baby has accomplished. Capture them or document them. The milestones might take a little bit longer, but when they finally happen? The celebration is so much more joyful. ▶𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. There is always support for a parent with a child who has special needs. There's @𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬_𝐩𝐡 it provides individual of all ages and all abilities a platform to come together and learn something new. You can also reach out to a developmental pediatrician like Dr. Francis Dimalata. This will set good paths for future learning. Every child learns differently. For example, if your child has difficulty communicating verbally, use gesture language. A quote on the website of Signing Time says: "Sign language is a wonderful tool that allows even very small children to express themselves." I got teary-eyed when I saw the last video clip but it reminds me that it should start from us to accept kids who have intellectual disability and show them love, respect and support. They are not different from any other kids. I am also amazed with the advocacy of bestbuddiesph it gives hope, it allows them to enjoy life in his own way and achieve whatever a kid sets his mind to. This webinar provided me with new perspectives, ways to love, and a deeper appreciation for the little things. TheAsianparentPHLive #Sanofiacts #Famhealthy #SanofixBestBuddiesPh #theasianparentphlive