AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

Grandparents are Still "Great" Grandparents – Especially for Children with Special Needs

BY H. BARRY WALDMAN, DDS, MPH, PHD AND STEVEN P. PERLMAN, DDS, MSCD, DHL (HON)

"A grandchild is one of God's most wonderful gifts. But what if that gift isn't the 'perfect' bundle of joy you expected? A child born with physical or mental handicaps takes grandparenting to a new dimension. Different needs and challenges arise – along with a new set of blessings… How should Grandma and Grandpa respond, and how can they help their child and grandchild?" 1

FIRST – SOME REAL FACTS ABOUT GRANDPARENTS

FIRST – SOME REAL FACTS ABOUT GRANDPARENTS Grandparents are not the wizened cranky images presented in older movies. 43% became grandparents in their fifties, 37% in their forties with the average age of grandparents in this country at 48 years. Grandparents lead 37% of all U.S. households in this country; that's 50 million households nationwide in 2015. Grandparents represent one-third of the population with 1.7 million new grandparents added to the ranks every year.

• 72% think being a grandparent (and taking care of their grandchildren) is the single most important and satisfying thing in their life.
• 63% say they can do a better job caring for grandchildren than they did with their own. And yes, 90% enjoy talking about their grandkids to just about everyone.
• 43% exercise or play sports.
• 71% say reading is one of their favorite activities.

• 86% read a newspaper in print or online.
• 70% use search engines to find information.
• 63% shop online.
• 46% bank online.
• 45% are on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yahoo! and Groups.
• 60% still have a full-time or part-time job.
• 38% report having sex at least twice a week.
• They control 75% of the wealth in this country.
• They spend $52 billion every year on their grandkids alone.
• 62% have provided financial support to their adult children and grandchildren in the last 12 months.
• 72% take care of their grandchildren on a regular basis.
• 64% accompany their adult children or grandchildren to the doctor. 

Incidentally, both authors of this presentation are grandparents; respectively, in their mid-70s and mid-80s

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY

The American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD) was organized in 2002 to provide a forum for healthcare professionals who provide clinical care to people with neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities (ND/ID). The mission of the organization is to improve the quality and assure the parity of healthcare for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities throughout the lifespan.