March 13th, 2026
by Mandy Milner
by Mandy Milner
This article was originally published on Group.com.
What do you do when children notice and ask about people they see with disabilities? Do you shy away from the conversation, or are you ready to help kids honor and perhaps even befriend someone with disabilities? Licensed professional counselor, Mandy Milner, shares insights and offers five simple ideas for talking with children about disabilities. Her ideas will help kids recognize and appreciate God’s handiwork in all people!
5 Helpful Tips for Talking With Children About Disabilities
1). Help kids empathize with those who have disabilities.
Infuse questions into conversations that encourage kids to think about others’ experiences—not just people with disabilities, but anyone!
2). Notice and respond to kids’ curiosity.
Kids are naturally curious—it’s one of the best things about them! We don’t want to discourage their curiosity, but we may need to shepherd them in how to appropriately express it, especially when they’re encountering people with noticeable disabilities.
If you observe a child pointing or staring at someone, calmly encourage them not to do those things. You can do so by asking an empathetic question like: “How do you think that person feels if people point at her? If you were in that situation, what would you rather have people do?”
3). Offer grace and guidance for how to respond to disabilities.
Be careful not to get upset with the inquisitive child. Remember, curiosity isn’t bad. We don’t want to communicate that any engaging with or interacting with a person with disabilities is inappropriate. If the child has questions, do your best to answer them directly. Avoid adding your own interpretation or information they’re not asking for. For example, if the child asks why someone is using a cane, you can say, “They must need some extra help with walking right now.”
You can also offer some alternatives for kids’ curiosity. Instead of pointing or staring, they could smile and wave! They could introduce themselves and ask the person’s name. If it’s another kid, they could invite him to join an activity.
4). Help kids notice commonalities, too!
You can also encourage kids’ healthy curiosity by asking them to look for things they have in common with the person. This helps them see that their difference is just one part of who they are.
Remember that kids are watching and learning from you, so modeling friendly and respectful interaction is one of the most powerful ways to help kids build these tools.
5). Normalize and celebrate differences.
Encourage kids to look for examples of people with all kinds of differences and similarities as you go through your day. You might look in the Bible, in family or church family, or in shows, books, and movies. Remind kids that God makes people in all kinds of different ways. God gave people all kinds of gifts and challenges, and each person reflects the image of God.
Children really can use their curiosity to discover ways God’s image manifests in each person they meet, including our friends with disabilities.
What do you do when children notice and ask about people they see with disabilities? Do you shy away from the conversation, or are you ready to help kids honor and perhaps even befriend someone with disabilities? Licensed professional counselor, Mandy Milner, shares insights and offers five simple ideas for talking with children about disabilities. Her ideas will help kids recognize and appreciate God’s handiwork in all people!
5 Helpful Tips for Talking With Children About Disabilities
1). Help kids empathize with those who have disabilities.
Infuse questions into conversations that encourage kids to think about others’ experiences—not just people with disabilities, but anyone!
- When playing together you might ask, “How do you think this doll would feel if the other dolls played without her?
- When watching or talking about a movie kids have seen, you might ask, “What do you think that movie character is feeling right now?
- When recapping a day a school, you might ask, “How do you think your friend felt when they fell at recess?”
2). Notice and respond to kids’ curiosity.
Kids are naturally curious—it’s one of the best things about them! We don’t want to discourage their curiosity, but we may need to shepherd them in how to appropriately express it, especially when they’re encountering people with noticeable disabilities.
If you observe a child pointing or staring at someone, calmly encourage them not to do those things. You can do so by asking an empathetic question like: “How do you think that person feels if people point at her? If you were in that situation, what would you rather have people do?”
3). Offer grace and guidance for how to respond to disabilities.
Be careful not to get upset with the inquisitive child. Remember, curiosity isn’t bad. We don’t want to communicate that any engaging with or interacting with a person with disabilities is inappropriate. If the child has questions, do your best to answer them directly. Avoid adding your own interpretation or information they’re not asking for. For example, if the child asks why someone is using a cane, you can say, “They must need some extra help with walking right now.”
You can also offer some alternatives for kids’ curiosity. Instead of pointing or staring, they could smile and wave! They could introduce themselves and ask the person’s name. If it’s another kid, they could invite him to join an activity.
4). Help kids notice commonalities, too!
You can also encourage kids’ healthy curiosity by asking them to look for things they have in common with the person. This helps them see that their difference is just one part of who they are.
Remember that kids are watching and learning from you, so modeling friendly and respectful interaction is one of the most powerful ways to help kids build these tools.
5). Normalize and celebrate differences.
Encourage kids to look for examples of people with all kinds of differences and similarities as you go through your day. You might look in the Bible, in family or church family, or in shows, books, and movies. Remind kids that God makes people in all kinds of different ways. God gave people all kinds of gifts and challenges, and each person reflects the image of God.
Children really can use their curiosity to discover ways God’s image manifests in each person they meet, including our friends with disabilities.
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