3 minute read
Special needs? Disabilities? High or low functioning? OH MY
BY KENDRA ROGERS, MS - EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
According to the Pew Research Center, 42.5 million individuals living in the United States have a diagnosed disability. This number represents about 13% of the overall population. As with politics, religion, types of schooling, and how to access medical care, each person within the community may hold a different preference regarding what umbrella term should describe themselves and the community as a whole.
The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act and holds the term “disability”. This publication references those living with special needs.
Designated parking spaces in public areas are sometimes still referred to as “handicapped parking”. Diagnoses sometimes assign functioning labels to depict how much is required to help certain individuals. Still others prefer the term “differently abled” as their diagnosis does not make them less, but different. All these terms carry meaning and weight for those that use them. They also carry weight for those to whom they refer. The people in my house use the words “special needs” and “Asperger” most frequently. The Asperger label has largely fallen out of use due to its origins, however, my husband and son identify with the characteristics of the label more than with other definitions. Many people prefer to use person-first language (person with special needs) that honors personhood outside the diagnosis. This approach places the diagnosis as simply part of the person rather than the whole. Others prefer diagnosis first language (disabled person) as they identify strongly with what their diagnosis and an understanding thereof mean to them personally. With the variety of possible terms and associations, it is no wonder that the general population, and even the community of those with special needs, are confused. In many cases, the goal of any individual is not to insult or demean those in a given community. This may be an unintended consequence of careless wording, however.
Even in attempts to soften the connotations surrounding leveling, those who adjusted the terms from “high or low functioning” to “high support needs” or “low support needs” still receive negativity because those terms still speak to functioning. Our best attempts will often fall short. What we must remember is that everyone is fighting a battle that we don’t know about. Respecting individuals’ preferences for their labels will go further than collectively supporting or decrying any set of terms. Each individual understands themselves better than anyone else, doctor, professional, or otherwise. In our quest to honor personhood, respecting others’ terms is crucial even if we disagree with them or choose other words ourselves. While we envision a time when peace reigns and everyone can share freely, respecting differences may help catalyze our dreams.
“high or low functioning” to “high support needs” or “low support needs”
