Daughter with Spina Bifida
im not sure if this is the right place to post this but im hoping that it is and that someone can help. Im a single mom of an amazing 9 year old girl who has Myelo (SB). My daughter is my world and my heart is so heavy and I’m so sad sometimes when I think about how lonely she is . She doesn’t have any real friends that talk to her and she is always on the outside looking in . I’ve tried for several years to make plans with other girls in her class and in the beginning they were all about play dates etc with my daughter . She struggles with social stuff and I’m assuming it has to do with her having hydrocephalus . She isn’t able to really hold any real convos with other kids and she pretty much does the whole “cocktail party talk “ only . its hard to explain so I hope someone on here knows what cocktail party talk means lol . Also with her afo’s , balance and mobility challenges she’s been bullied a lot . She’s been ridiculed , ignored a lot when trying to talk to other classmates , and even physically assaulted (a boy shoved her down when they were playing outside at recess-this boy also calls her weak, tells her nobody likes her and that she doesn’t matter ).
I have had her involved in things outside of school but she still never is able to click with other kids tried everything and I’ve searched online for years to find ways for her to meet other kids that have spina Bifida and other disabilities and it really hasn’t helped either . Also any special needs groups near us don’t have any kids that have physical disabilities and I really think that if she made a friend that she could relate to it would help her so much . now that she’s older she’s starting to tell me how she isnt a normal kid and that she isn’t smart and that she can’t do anything that all other kids can do . Shes so lonely and im her only playmate which of course I don’t mind being but she NEEDS a friend her own age etc.Also I don’t drive right now so i cant just hop in the car and travel out of my town and take her to any adaptive sport or special needs groups.Ifeel like im failing her. if anyone that reads this has any advice or ideas I would greatly appreciate it . Also if anyone has a child with Sb around my daughters age or evena little younger or older and if you are in Michigan please reach out to me .