What qualifies as special needs?

[aussiecrush]

Brought to you in part by the anger thread and from something a speech therapist said to me.

I guess this is my introductory thread too. I have two boys, B age four and a half and G seventeen months. Both have been very recently diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. We have wonderful therapists to work with and are already seeing improvements in behavior, communication, and skill development. 

After meeting with a potential speech therapist she asked to hug me and said "It must be so tough dealing with two kids with special needs". I'm sure she was trying to be understanding but it really caught me off guard. I've never thought about my boys in that way before and I found myself sad that likely they will be labeled by more and more terms as we move forward. B has food allergies on top of the SPD diagnosis, it just made me wonder what everyone considers special needs? 

[ijack]

I would consider SPD special needs, since they need a little extra help with some things. But I also don't think "special need" is a bad label, which I understand some people might.
ETA - I guess anything outside the "norm" that might require extra help in school or extra considerations.

[sharknado]

Working in the schools I would consider them special needs.

[deanlicker78]

This is a good question. My MIL refers to my SS who is bipolar as a special needs child. It had never crossed my mind that others would think he was special needs.

[wowhead]

Sept 11, 2013 15:08:21 GMT -5 ijack said:

I would consider SPD special needs, since they need a little extra help with some things. But I also don't think "special need" is a bad label, which I understand some people might.
ETA - I guess anything outside the "norm" that might require extra help in school or extra considerations.

This.  One of my besties has 2 kids with SPD and one additionally has FPIES.  She considers both special needs.  I guess I've just never seen it as a bad label.  

[shananagins]

As a teacher I consider any child with paperwork about disabilities or specific modifications needed to be successful in class as special needs.

[shananagins]

And I absolutely don't think special needs is a bad label. It just means that child needs my attention differently than others.

[livinitup]

I'm a Social Worker, so it's par the course and completely common to use the term for all kinds of things. It holds no power or remorse for me. More often than not, the words we use to capture a client need keeps shifting to avoid "labeling", discrimination or insult. "Food sensitive" is the latest descriptor to describe anything from a preference, to an allergy, to a disease like celiac. I saw it on paperwork yesterday. I've been saying "neuro typical" instead of "normal" for a long time.

In my world, 'special needs' can be long or short term, can refer to mental, physical or behavior health; can be severe or mild; and are a kind way to communicate differences and/or needs.

[pixelpassion]

Sept 11, 2013 15:12:27 GMT -5 deanlicker78 said:

This is a good question. My MIL refers to my SS who is bipolar as a special needs child. It had never crossed my mind that others would think he was special needs.

Unless her BPD interferes with her emotional, social or academic functioning, I don't know if she would be classified as a child that has special needs. 

[azurely]

Yes, it's kind of a catch all term for any child who needs extra help or assistance: academically, behaviorally, socially, etc.

I can understand why that would be upsetting to hear, but I assure you that she meant no offense by it.

[aussiecrush]

I don't think of it as a bad label at all. No one else had referred to them that way before and hearing it for the first time was a shock to the system. It's clear already that as we enter the school system B will need more help than a typical child. I just never thought of them that way myself.

I appreciate the outside impression, experience and knowledge.

[speckledfrog]

I think of it more as a clinical label.

[bab]

Sensory processing disorder is a special need.

[sharknado]

Sept 11, 2013 15:12:27 GMT -5 deanlicker78 said:

This is a good question. My MIL refers to my SS who is bipolar as a special needs child. It had never crossed my mind that others would think he was special needs.

Nope, I would not see this as special needs.

[speedracer]

my youngest has one hand. technically, he's SN. That phrase never bothered me. "disabled" and "birth defect" do bother me sometimes but I think that's mostly because I don't think of him like that.

[kirra]

I'm not a parent. I am a person with disabilities.

Honestly, it's just a label. One of many that constantly change due to polital correctness. It can be a good thing, and it can be a bad thing, and it all depends on how a person uses it.

I know that labels and diagnoses can hurt, and I imagine that hearing the term unexpectedly was painful. But I don't think that it is inherently a bad thing. It means that it will be easier for you to get your children the help they need to excel.

On the bipolar teenager as special needs or not... I think it probably depends on if the bp is controlled or not. As a high school drop out due to mental illness (once we worked out my meds, I got my GED and now have a bachelor's degree) I was given extra help, and it still wasn't enough.

[housewife]

I hope I can accurately write what I'm thinking here..


DS has SPD (SMD) as well as a fine motor and speech delay, I don't consider him special needs TO ME. He's the way I've always known him to be and while sometimes parenting him is very difficult and I may see him struggle in certain areas, I also have the same feelings with DD who is of typical development. To someone not familiar with DS they may see his delay's more prominently and consider him special needs. On the other hand one of his speech therapist's who hasn't seen him since June may immediately notice the progress he's made over the summer and consider him less so. However, the term doesn't bother me and 2 years ago they could have called him anything they wanted to do as long as it allowed us to get the therapies that he needed. 

[auntie]

SPD that is significant enough to be dx'd and requires therapy would be considered a special need by most. Especially if it impacts adaptive skills, communication, behavior and quality of life.

[pixelpassion]

Sept 11, 2013 18:55:28 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Sept 11, 2013 15:19:23 GMT -5 pixelpassion said:

Unless her BPD interferes with her emotional, social or academic functioning, I don't know if she would be classified as a child that has special needs. 

I fully agree with this. If it impacts those areas to a serious enough degree, then BPD may be captured under Other Health Impairment (at least in CA). 

I believe it's the same in New Jersey as well.