Every child in the world is endowed with equal rights, obligations, opportunities, and roles in each aspect of life, especially in education. This notion is an accordance with the 1945 Constitution of Republic of Indonesia, particularly to the Article 31, stating that every child, including who possesses special needs, has rights to receive education. On Wednesday (27/3), students of Faculty of Medicine and Health Science (FMHS) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) conducted a workshop on Children and Parents in Value Day at Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB) Bangun Putra Bangunjiwo, Bantul. The students who are also parts of Muhammadiyah Medical Student Activity (MMSA) stated that the event aims to increase the confidence of children with special needs.

Nurul Saadah Andiriani, S.H., M.H., an expert from Woman and Children Advocacy Center (SAPDA), uttered that children with special needs require parental assistance to construct their mindsets. In the event, Nurul came as a speaker to deliver material related to parenting of children with special needs.

In her presentation, Nurul conveyed, “One of the essential aspects to nurture children with disabilities is parental assistance. Parents are the closest relative to the children who can encourage them to achieve their aspirations and self-developments. Parents should not discriminate children with special needs because the children deserve to obtain the same treatment as normal children. An unhealthy style of parenting can lead to dependency of the children as a style of parenting that parents tend to excessively spoil their children.”

Nurul added, “The unhealthy style of parenting can result to negative stigmas in society. An incorrect parenting style causes children to be too dependent so that they become unproductive. This, in fact, can raise bad stigmas in society, assuming that children with special needs are incapable and uncreative.”

Nurul also mentioned that a bad parenting style can render children to possess morals and material burdens in the future. “The burdens come for not only the children but also their parents and families. This is why parents should necessarily embed a proper parenting style for children with special needs. Parents should also accustom a fair nurture and treatment for all the children, no matter how their conditions are.”