Special Needs

[SCPL]

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a chance to start reading the book. Feel free to share your thoughts with the group!

For this post, I want to focus on people with special needs and the language used to refer to people with special needs.

Once Craig is assigned his bus route, he is given information about each of his students and their conditions: cerebral palsy, autism, Fragile X syndrome, etc. He is overwhelmed by the list and also embarrassed about the fact that he’s unfamiliar with many of these conditions and unsure about the “correct” language to use when referring to someone with a disability.

He found that the all-encompassing terms of special needs and disabled were unhelpful because, as Craig saw, there were “so many tiers and gradients to the term” (p. 47).
Can you relate at all to Craig’s experience?

Craig also reflects on his childhood memories of interacting (or not interacting) with children with special needs.

Please feel free to discuss your own experiences with people with special needs – as a child or an adult.

Thanks!

~Nicole~

[Nancy]

Hi Nicole,
I myself work in the area of special needs, Acquired Brain Injury, as well as mental health. I agree with Craig's feelings regarding all-compassing terms of special needs are unhelpful. Having worked in many agencies that service individuals that I have worked with have different terms, so I myself, have a difficult time keeping up with the terminology used to to "label" people. The problem here is that people don't fit into these boxes of "labels". People are individual. Their diagnoses' are individual. It is upsetting to me because you end up looking at the "label" rather than the person. Everyone is an individual who has different capabilities regardless of a diagnosis. A person centered is necessary to help the individual be successful in their life goals and achieve what they want out of life.

[SCPL]

Hi Nancy,

You make an excellent point about the downsides of labels and how we lose sight of the individual and only see the disability. There are so many aspects and characteristics that make up an individual person that focusing on any one aspect (or label) overlooks who that person really is.

As I'm sure we will learn about the students on Craig's bus, they are all individuals with their own personalities and interests. My Dad (recently retired) worked with students who were blind or visually impaired. The students were so different and it would be unfair to label or characterize them only by their level of vision. It would also be unfair to give them the exact same lessons or instruction.

In terms of language, I think there is a distinction between referring to someone as "a blind person" and "a person who is blind". Being blind or visually impaired does not define all of who they are.

Thanks!
~Nicole

[Heidi]

This is a really deep topic that requires pretty intense self-reflection. I’m going to try and answer just because I think it’s good to face our own possible prejudices and become more self-aware. Most of my exposure to people with “special needs” comes from my time at school. There was a push for integration which meant that we had non-verbal students often in wheelchairs in our classrooms but at the same time there were still Special Needs wing with dedicated classrooms. A friend and I used to volunteer to take the kids in wheel chairs out during recess and push them around for a bit.

When Craig talked about the kids who were bullying his students and making gestures and using the term “retard” I have to admit I felt a lot of guilt. My brothers and I definitely did that. Now I realize it’s inappropriate and I would never do that but back then there was no one to teach us differently.

I think in recent years the spectrum of what is considered “Special Needs” or “disabilities” has expanded to recognize all sorts of diagnoses and we have come a long way to normalizing people who suffer. There is still a lot that can be done and a lot of education is needed but I feel like we as a society (speaking specifically for Canadians since that’s what I am) are on the right track.

Nancy’s comments about the unhelpfulness of labels is incredibly important. No matter the level of ability or disability they/we are still all individuals. In addition each person’s diagnosis will likely manifest differently. I think being sensitive to the potentially different needs of each person is the most important.

[SCPL]

Hi Heidi,

Thank you for your comment and your honesty.

I can definitely relate to the guilt you felt reading about Craig's experiences with students making the "retard gesture" and using the word "retard". As a child, I used those words and made those gestures along with my classmates. I never did this to a person with special needs but to my friends. But that's no excuse. I am ashamed that I did it and cannot even imagine making those gestures or using those words.

I agree with you that our society is making strides in acceptance, education, and awareness.

Thank you for re-emphasizing the importance of seeing people as individuals and not making assumptions.

[Heidi]

Everytime the “R” word comes up I am reminded of this scene from CSI: Las Vegas
Gil Grissom: [to Billy Rattison about how he called Randy Traschel, the man with Down Syndrome that he murdered, a 'retard'] By the way, the definition of the word retard is to hinder or to hold someone back. I think your life is about to become retarded.

[SCPL]

Haha, that's a great response to someone using the "R" word!

(CSI wasn't the same when Grissom left)