Signs of Neglect in Handicapped Children

According to research by the Boys Town National Research Hospital, children with disabilities are almost twice as likely to be neglected, about 1 1/2 times more likely to be physically abused, and twice as likely to be sexually abused than children without disabilities. Because disabled children are more vulnerable and less able to communicate a cry for help, their abuse makes the difficulty even worse. Because they may not be able to speak for themselves, the American Academy of Pediatrics says it's important to recognize the signs when a handicapped child may be suffering abuse. Many of the same signs of abuse for non-handicapped children apply to disabled children, but they may be more difficult to identify. Child welfare workers experienced with handicapped children and abuse victims may use drawings, puppets, role play and extended interviews as necessary tools to validate that abuse is happening.

Unexplained Physical Injuries

Although a non-handicapped child may be shy about saying how she received an injury, a handicapped child may be unable to let you know. Look for outward signs such as burns, bites, bruises, or even black eyes that don't have a reasonable explanation from a caregiver. In extreme cases, the child may even have broken bones.

Unusual Behaviors

Look for different behaviors that are out of the ordinary for a child with that handicap. An autistic child may have repetitive mannerisms and echo whatever a person says to her, which may be normal for that child with that handicap. A child who has "normally" high repetitive chatter but drops into a deep tone to speak of hurts, fears or shouts "stop it" without warning, may be signaling abuse. The child also may wince or draw back when a parent or caregiver comes near.

Sexual Knowledge

Notice any knowledge of sexual acts beyond the child's years as a sign of possible sexual abuse. With handicapped children, because of developmental delays, the knowledge of sex is delayed even more than with a non-handicapped child. Sexual gesturing, repeatedly touching genital areas or suddenly exposing genital areas are signs of neglect or abuse by a caregiver. Other clues include bed wetting, difficulty walking or sitting and refusal to disrobe for a medical exam. Pregnancy or the presence of sexually transmitted diseases are signs of long-term abuse.