Most social workers who work closely with families with HD believe that children should be told at any and every age. It is never too early and never too late to discuss HD with a child. Children are surprisingly resilient and often have a greater than expected capacity to cope with such disturbing news. Children who sense already that something is wrong with a parent may actually feel relieved to hear facts about HD because these are sometimes more hopeful than their fears. The information given to children about HD will clearly be more basic for those who are younger, but evidence based on adoptive studies indicates that the younger the child is when told about the diagnosis in the family, the easier it will be to cope in the long run. This is because the child will begin to integrate this information as part of his life so early that it will seem more normal and therefore less scary. It is helpful to know that the talk itself is often less stressful than the anticipation leading up to it.
Last Modified: 05/22/2009
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