Scope report indicates a lack of resources for young disabled children

Research out today shows that 70% of parents of disabled children struggle to give information to their children about their impairments and what is happening to them.

The research, which was carried out by disability charity Scope as part of its In The Picture project, suggests that this is partly due to a shortage of resources available to young disabled children and their parents.

According to the report, Sharing Information with Disabled Children in the Early Years, 68% of parents have not had access to materials that explain their child's impairment, making it impossible to communicate with the child about how they are feeling and why they feel that way.

"Sharing information with children under the age of six years can appear to be a daunting task to parents and the people working with families, but imagine how it must feel to have little or no idea about what is happening to you," comments Professor Sir David Hall, children's health expert and patron of Scope.

"Information is vital to us all. Information for children, and particularly disabled children, is fundamental to improving the quality of their lives."

Scope's report also shows that storybooks, toys and games are viewed as the most effective ways of sharing information with this age group.

One parent commented that "storybooks are easily accepted by children", therefore making them an excellent vehicle for communicating important issues - but not enough storybooks reflect disabled children's experiences.

Scope's In The Picture project, which is all about getting disabled children on to the pages of their storybooks, hopes to overcome this problem by offering children images and stories with which they can identify.

Penny Dickinson, Resource and Information Officer for In The Picture and author of the report, comments: "We need to develop a more inclusive culture for these young children, right from the beginning of their lives. When one child saw an image of a girl using a walking frame she immediately pointed it out and said she'd found someone else 'like her'. We all need images 'like us' to prevent us feeling isolated."

The research, which questioned parents and early years professionals, suggests that there are pockets of good practice where suitable materials are provided for disabled children, but concluded that these resources are limited and the sector as a whole is not good at sharing knowledge.

As well as encouraging established authors and illustrators to include disabled children in their books, In The Picture is working with student illustrators to influence the next generation.

Scope's early years team is also releasing a Games Bag including a selection of games for disabled and non-disabled children to encourage active learning and communication through play.

The full report, Sharing Information with Disabled Children in the Early Years, is available on the In The Picture website: see www.childreninthepicture.org.uk