The language used when working with people with special needs can be very important. While the average person may not see the importance of meaningful and supportive terminology, for family members and professionals who work with these individuals, it is vital.
In the 1990s there was a movement called People First. The purpose was to remind everyone that people with special needs are people first and their disability second. For example, they were not autistic children, but children with autism. They were adults with cerebral palsy. By placing the person in front of their disability, we saw the person and their problems. It made sense and went a long way in changing the way the public viewed children and adults with special needs.
Fast forward twenty years. It seems that we have returned to disability first. Children who are on the spectrum go back to being autistic children. People with cognitive deficiencies or delays are called retarded. All the work done to promote the individual has gone by the wayside.
The parents and loved ones of these amazing people have worked diligently to illuminate their individuality. Referring to them by their disability first diminishes the person they are. When they advocate for their loved one, most of the time they share their strengths: they have a great sense of humor, they love to talk about cars, they have a talent for music. These things are what are important. They are what makes the individual special. Its diagnosis is of secondary importance at best.
A lot of people may see this as political correctness gone berserk. The difference here is that it affects how others view people with special needs. For many, their disability is obvious. They need support to communicate. They need devices to move around their space. They need redirection to follow simple instructions. The world doesn’t need to be reminded of the challenges it faces every day. You need to remember the amazing person who is trapped behind these limitations.
When talking about people with special needs, remember that they come first. Is a child with Down syndrome or an adult with autism. The person should always be the center of the statement. The disability is only a part of who they are; not the whole being It is important that we remember this at all times. The individual and his family will thank us.
©R. wellman 2011
