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Dads of special needs kids deserve extra honor, praise
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When a father bonds with a child with special needs, he shows how a real man doesn't have to be just a sports coach or someone to play roughhouse with a child.
Special needs fathers have to cope with the loss of dreams that may not come to pass -- such as playing competitive sports, debating intellectually or passing on their chosen career.
But for the courageous ones who see fatherhood as more than just a coaching role, they get back an amazing relationship with a special child.
The extra effort required of a special needs father to be consistent in that child's life deserves a bucket of praise.
A new study shows 95 percent of male mammals have no interaction with their children, making humans the rare exception. So, fatherhood may just make us human.
For children with disabilities who already have a mountain of challenges to overcome, having a father role model can make all the difference.
We cannot underestimate this important role in the life of a child. A father can give self-esteem, confidence and the ability to compete in society.
For a child with special needs, a father can give the child confidence to never give up, a belief that they will be loved no matter how far they go in life and an invaluable role model.
Fathers can set an example of ambition, mixed with balancing family life.
President Obama urges dads this Father's Day to be better fathers than their own. He said, "We need to step out of our own heads and tune in. We need to turn off the television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what's going on in their lives."
Fathers of kids with special needs have an extra challenge to reconnect each day with that child. Sometimes it comes easily, some days it doesn't seem worth the effort.
Applause to all the fathers who keep on loving and building up the child with special needs, even through the disappointing days.
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