Changing name of special needs forum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't understand for the life of me why everyone can't just use the term they wish to use. How is me calling my child's needs special needs taking away from another parent calling it a disability?

Everyone certainly can use whatever term they want, although it comes with a bit of peril because as we all know when some people decide to change the terminology for something the rest of us can either follow suit or risk being called out for not being current enough with our vocabulary.

However, this topic is actually about what to call the special needs forum. That is solely up to Jeff. It appears that he is giving it a lot of thought before he replies since this is obviously a topic people have varied opinions on, all of which seem to be well stated and thought out. I'm sure eventually Jeff will decide what he believes will work best for his forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It often seems that the currently-labeled "Kids with Special Needs" forum is the ASD and ADHD only forum but it includes more than that. This thread can also keep that in mind.

This.

Agree. Medical mom here also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One way to encourage both sides is "Children with Disabilities and Special Needs"

It appeases both sides, those who prefer one vs the other.

Prefer this as a parent of an ADHD child, which fills up a lot fo space on that board. I doubt many people would consider ADHD a disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One way to encourage both sides is "Children with Disabilities and Special Needs"

It appeases both sides, those who prefer one vs the other.

Prefer this as a parent of an ADHD child, which fills up a lot fo space on that board. I doubt many people would consider ADHD a disability.

If it's not a disability, then people with ADHD aren't entitled to 504s or IEPs. That's not the argument people make on this board.

[jsteele]

I'll just weigh in to say that I am agreeable to renaming the forum to "Kids with Special Needs and Disabilities" or something similar. It is clear from this discussion that there is not general agreement on eliminating "Special Needs" from the title. I also think there is some risk in confusing and/or alienating users who are not in tune with the latest developments in language (me included).

Because of how we have our servers set-up, changing the title requires restarting the application servers. That's something I don't like to do willy-nilly so it will have to wait for a weekend. It will also have to be a weekend on which others things don't take precedence. So, please be patient.

[Anonymous]

I don't know the history of why the term fell out of favor, so this may be an ignorant idea and no offense is intended, but why not bring back and re-claim "handicapped?" It covers such a wide spectrum of needs and does not imply the person is not normal or less, but that there is an issue that requires some special education or accommodations to make things accessible. It doesn't mean anything bad to me and I work in the field but know better than to say it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know the history of why the term fell out of favor, so this may be an ignorant idea and no offense is intended, but why not bring back and re-claim "handicapped?" It covers such a wide spectrum of needs and does not imply the person is not normal or less, but that there is an issue that requires some special education or accommodations to make things accessible. It doesn't mean anything bad to me and I work in the field but know better than to say it.

Same with disability. Disability is not bad. That's exactly the point of disability advocates.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:I'll just weigh in to say that I am agreeable to renaming the forum to "Kids with Special Needs and Disabilities" or something similar. It is clear from this discussion that there is not general agreement on eliminating "Special Needs" from the title. I also think there is some risk in confusing and/or alienating users who are not in tune with the latest developments in language (me included).

Because of how we have our servers set-up, changing the title requires restarting the application servers. That's something I don't like to do willy-nilly so it will have to wait for a weekend. It will also have to be a weekend on which others things don't take precedence. So, please be patient.

Thank you Jeff!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a disabled parent of 2 kids who also carry diagnoses and could be referred to as disabled also. I prefer the term special needs for this board because it includes people at all stages of their diagnostic and intervention journey. Some parents may visit briefly to be reassured that their child is likely developing in an unusual but not extremely atypical way. Others may find it a first step towards a diagnosis.

For the purpose of the title of a parent forum I think it best serves the purpose and is less likely to scare people off. Because for most disabilities, early intervention is key. This forum provides a safe place to explore without forcing the issue that you may be parenting a disabled child. It really is designed to support the mostly non-disabled parents of children with potential disabilities.

I am not avoiding the disabled title and will claim all appropriate rights under federal law. But I also do not center my identity on my disability. I look to other places for disability-specific support as a disabled person. Here I am looking for other parents’ experience in getting services for their kids.

Yes this every word! Thank you for stating it better than I could have. I am also the disabled parent of a child with a list of diagnoses that makes things hard for her sometimes

[Anonymous]

As a parent of a 2yr old with severe disabilities, I find this to be an interesting discussion. I don’t personally care about the terminology, and well, my child doesn’t talk, so her preferences are TBD. Fundamentally, however, it’s feels like vanity sizing to me - changing the label doesn’t change the underlying reality. I personally think that changing the label won’t actually change the challenges faced by people with disabilities, or whether the label is used in unkind and hurtful ways that carry stigma, but I recognize that the labels really really matter to some people, and incorporating both terms acknowledges different preferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honestly thought "disabled" was a term people considered to be pejorative and that "special needs" was created to be positive change.

As a disabled person (I am Deaf), I find the amount of time and energy wasted fussing over vernacular and semantics to be distressing and annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly thought "disabled" was a term people considered to be pejorative and that "special needs" was created to be positive change.

As a disabled person (I am Deaf), I find the amount of time and energy wasted fussing over vernacular and semantics to be distressing and annoying.

Not all people feel that way. We tried “person first” language with my cousin and he insists that he is Deaf. He wants his identity and community first. I know a few people who disagree with him. I respect all their wishes. It’s worth it to discuss the vernacular and semantics to figure out what an individual person finds comfortable or affirming.

[Anonymous]

Does disability mean not having an ability? Seems handicapped is more accurate.

[jsteele]

Okay, I made this change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand the reclaiming of the word disability. However, as a parent of a developmentally-delayed preschooler I probably wouldn’t have found the forum. There is also some pushback amongst people with dyslexia (most common learning disability) about the term disability.

I have two. One is old enough now that I think he does have a disability. The other is young and has mild dyslexia. I hope/think we can educate her to the point where it is not a disability.

Therefore, with the forum, many come for the first time seeking answers and since they are new to it all, "special needs" even with its 'glossing over-ness" is still probably more comfortable and appropriate.

Thank you for bringing this up here. One thing I LOVE about the SN forum is how nice and helpful it usually is.