Learn the Meaning of Special Needs

What Does "Special Needs" Mean?

Children with special needs fall into several categories: disabilities, race, age, sibling status, and at-risk.

Disabilities: include mental, physical and emotional disabilities which can range from mild to severe. Behavioral problems are part of the emotional disabilities group.

Minority Race.: Some agencies consider minority race alone to be a special need, especially when the child is male, and other agencies do not. This does not mean that being a member of a certain racial group or gender is a disability. It means that, at this time, we have not recruited enough families to adopt our waiting minority race children, and especially the boys. In all racial groups, males outnumber females, sometimes by as much as three to one.

Age.: The age limit at which a child is considered to have special needs differs from one state to another and may differ according to the race of the child. In general, a child over age 5-8 years may be considered an older child.

Sibling groups.: Sibling groups of two members are called small sibling groups. All others are considered to be large sibling groups. Since small sibling groups of pre-school age Caucasian children with mild to no disabilities are as easy to place as healthy white infants, such sib groups usually do not fall into the special needs category unless other factors, such as disability, minority race, or risk factors, are also present.

"At-risk" children.: An an "at-risk" child is one who, while currently healthy, is at risk of developing learning, emotional, behavioral or physical disabilities in the future. Babies exposed to drugs, abuse, neglect, and those with genetic pre-dispositions to mental illness and physical disabilities are called "at-risk."

Waiting children and older children.: Special needs children waiting to be adopted are referred to as waiting children, and have usually spent some amount of time in foster care.

Best Resources:

Credits: Reprinted with permission, from the Homes for Kids Web site, and from the book "Adopting and Advocating for the Special Needs Child," Greenwood Press of Connecticut, (ISBN 0-89789-489-8) (Bergin & Garvey, 1997), Babb & Laws

Comments

I am an adoptee who has had special needs since the age of 13 months old. I had Viral Encephalitis. A brain infection. This caused me to have seizures along with a learning disability. It was a rough road but I have come a long way with fighting my disability. It can be done and helped. I have a online petition that will benefit many adoptees. http://www.petitiononline.com/Adoptees/petition.html
This is for medical resons because I have such a large amount of medical problems that I had two doctors write the court letters for emergency adoption records to be opened. My health is not the best but I am able to help my biological family know up to date medical history information on me as they can do for me in return. I have yet to find my biological siblings, Janice and Whitney or my biological mom Mary Ann. Maybe someday my biological mom will not deny me the chance to help her and possibly save this families life or their family members lives. A persons life is just to precious of a thing to not try and save. Please sign my petition if you honestly believe in what it says. I understand if people do not due to the fear of their privacy or fear of what would happen if the other family members actually found out the truth about a child put up for adoption many years ago. Times have changed and people will be understanding along with thrilled to know the truth. I would love knowing I can save a life of a biological family member. I would be thrilled to just save lives. It's all up to you. Freedom of choice if you want to sign it or not.

Posted by: ToPayLawns at 05/27/2006 11:25 PM

Great article! Even sadder is the situation that these children are put into without their consent. Just to be a child has it's challenges but throw in a developmental or disorder issue, it's a double whammy that's extremely hard to overcome.

Posted by: darrc at 08/04/2005 11:01 AM

Thanks. I was just thinking about this article and how the meaning of "special needs" has changed over time. In past decades, the scope of challenges faced by children with needs other than physical and mental disabilites was much less understood - if understood at all, so the term "special needs" was very limited. Today, "special needs" has expanded to include a much wider range of challenges faced by children as their family relationships deteriorate; the term has also grown to include factors that make it more difficult to find adoptive homes for children other than health issues, such as large sibling groups, or a child's age.

How sad it is, indeed, that there are ANY factors that make it difficult to find loving families for these children. And how sadder still that so many children go through the experiences that result in separation from their families in the first place.

Posted by: NSAshe at 08/03/2005 09:56 AM

What Are Special Needs?

"Special needs" is a term used to define needs children may have that increase parenting challenges. These can include, but are not limited to, physical, emotional, and behavioral challenges, age, siblings, and others.

Continue reading [url=http://www.adopting.org/adoptions/learn-about-adoption-special-needs.html]What Are Special Needs?[/url]

Posted by: ArticleBot at 08/02/2005 11:16 PM

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