The novel, Wonder by R. J. Palacio is a story about a ten-year-old boy, August or Auggie, who has Treacher Collins Syndrome. The novel discusses the effect a child with special needs has on the entire family and incorporates the key values of kindness and the importance of family. Wonder provides insight and guidance to six different perspectives with emphasis on the emotional growth of protagonist Auggie’s experiences throughout his fifth grade year at Beecher Prep.
A child with special needs greatly affects the family system as a whole. Auggie’s medical needs consume most of the parental attention and resources; Via often feels neglected and overlooked. According to “Impact of Child Disability on the Family”, most siblings and parents of a child with special needs have poor mental health due to child’s straining physical and emotional demands. Via never gets the chance to tell her mother about her troubles with school and her peers creating strain in their relationship.
Despite these challenges, Auggie’s needs create a strong …show more content…
Through Wonder and “Psychosocial Issues for Children and Adolescents With Diabetes” it is evident that Auggie as well as a child with type I diabetes experience similar obstacles and emotions. Feeling different from their peers and wanting to be normal is the most common fear. Auggie is self-conscious about the special attention he receives from Mr. Tushman and Mr. Browne, while the child with type I diabetes is embarrassed about the special attention regarding his or her glycemic control. Furthermore, the chronic disease and special needs affects the entire family in which they experience similar stressors such as strain between both parents and parent-sibling relationships. In both situations, the child’s needs are the number one priority though each child and family story is