By Morapedi Sibeko.

 

•⁠  ⁠As Psycho-Social Disability Awareness Month draws to a close, it is important to reflect on how children with psycho-social disabilities are meaningfully included in everyday life.

•⁠  ⁠While often invisible, psycho-social disabilities can deeply affect how a child learns, plays, and connects with others.

•⁠  ⁠We must go beyond seeing disability as a health concern and instead understand it as part of everyday life that interacts with the child’s environment, relationships, and support systems.

 

July marks Psycho-Social Disability Awareness Month, a time to reflect on how South Africa is progressing in its efforts to support the dignity, inclusion, and rights of children and people with psycho-social disabilities.

 

These disabilities include conditions such as depression, anxiety, and trauma, which affect a child’s emotional well-being and ability to participate fully in daily life. While often invisible, psycho-social disabilities can deeply affect how a child learns, plays, and connects with others, especially when support systems are limited.

 

At the Department of Social Development, we are reminded that among the most vulnerable are children with disabilities, who often live at the intersection of stigma and restricted access to care.

 

The department reflects not only on the progress made in protecting children with disabilities, but also on how disability can be understood more effectively by moving from labels to lived experiences.

 

If we are to move beyond awareness to real inclusion, we must start seeing children with disabilities differently. We must go beyond seeing disability as a health concern and instead understand it as part of everyday life that interacts with the child’s environment, relationships, and support systems.

 

 

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, developed by the World Health Organisation, helps us do just that. It encourages us to focus on what children can do rather than on a diagnosis.

 

The classification shifts the lens from impairment alone to a child’s experience in the world, asking what must change in the environment to help the child thrive. It recognises that disability has both medical and social aspects.

 

A child with a mental health condition may face challenges not only because of that condition but also because they are misunderstood, unsupported, or excluded.

 

When children with psycho-social disabilities receive support, are treated with care, and are meaningfully included in everyday life, they are far more likely to flourish.

 

 

The Act promotes the creation of an enabling environment for children with disabilities, one that provides access to services, protects them from neglect and discrimination, and nurtures their overall development. It reminds us that inclusion is a legal and developmental priority.

 

However, the lived experience of many children with psycho-social disabilities still falls short of this vision.

 

 

Too often, children face social isolation, limited support in their communities, and barriers that prevent them from participating fully in everyday life.

 

As Manthipi Molamu, who leads Services to People with Disabilities at the Department of Social Development, says: “The impact of stigma is often more damaging than the disability itself.

 

“Children with psycho-social disabilities frequently encounter misconceptions, social exclusion, and bias. Such stigma can result in feelings of isolation, diminished self-worth, and restricted access to education and opportunities for engagement.”

 

This highlights the ongoing need for collaborative efforts across departments and society to create more inclusive, supportive, and empowering environments for all children.

 

One way to make the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health real and practical in the lives of children with disabilities is through the Five Fs framework: function, family, fitness, fun, and friends.

 

These five areas provide a child-centred lens to understand what matters in their everyday lives and how we can support them more meaningfully.

 

 

Function is what a child can do in everyday life, from dressing independently to joining in classroom activities. It moves the focus toward abilities and meaningful participation rather than limitations.

 

Family is central. Families are often the child’s first and most consistent source of care.

 

The Department of Social Development recognises that a strong family builds a strong foundation for children with disabilities.

 

When families are supported, they are better equipped to nurture their children’s development.

 

Family involvement is critical in planning and delivering interventions, as the family environment greatly influences development, consistency, and motivation, Molamu says.

 

Fitness refers to physical and emotional well-being. Children with psycho-social disabilities often benefit from routines, movement, good nutrition, and therapeutic activities.

 

 Promoting health through adaptive physical education or counselling creates a more stable base for growth.

 

Fun is a right. It enhances learning, reduces stress, and builds resilience.

 

Play-based therapy, or simply including children in group games and cultural activities, increases their confidence and engagement with the world.

 

 

Friendships offer a sense of emotional safety and help children develop communication, empathy, and cooperation.

 

Yet, many children with psycho-social disabilities face social exclusion.

 

 

Encouraging peer interaction through group sessions, community play, or after-school programmes helps break down stigma and builds more inclusive communities.

 

“The Five Fs approach complements the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model by offering a child-friendly, holistic lens to intervention planning,” Molamu adds.

 

“It ensures that interventions are person-centred, contextually meaningful, and aligned with the child’s environment and developmental stage.”

 

In Molamu’s view, understanding psycho-social disabilities requires a kind, comprehensive, and rights-based approach.

 

She reminds us that children with psycho-social disabilities are, first and foremost, children. They have dreams, talents, and the right to be seen, heard, and valued.

 

Too often, the stigma surrounding mental health is more damaging than the disability itself.

 

These children are not defined by a diagnosis. They thrive when they are supported by predictable, caring adults and environments that understand their unique needs.

 

 

When children are included in education, recreation, and decision-making, their sense of agency and well-being grows.

 

Families and communities must be equipped and supported to play their roles.

 

Services rooted in community care, rather than institutions, are more sustainable and responsive.

 

Access to mental health support – through schools, clinics, and local initiatives – must be timely, developmentally appropriate, and trauma-informed.

 

“This is ultimately about human rights,” said Molamu.

 

 “The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child affirm every child’s right to dignity, education, healthcare, participation, and freedom from discrimination.”

 

If we focus on strengths rather than labels, if we listen to children and support families and communities, we can build a society where all children, including those with psycho-social disabilities, are able to reach their full potential.

 

The challenge is not to fix the child, but to fix the barriers that stand in their way. Inclusion is not charity. It is justice.