Is using the term “special needs” a hate crime?
In essentials Miss Jane Filkin, who is the headmistress of a school in the South of England, was accused of “hate crime” for referring to one of students as having special needs because of their autism diagnosis. You can read up the full story here.
Now the lady was exonerated (thankfully) but it did get me thinking about the whole issue.
I use the term special needs all the time. But is it a hate crime to use such a phrase?
What do you think?
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Children with Autism may have needs that non-Autistic children do not have, thus the term “special needs.” I know that anything that sets a person apart as different can be used in a derogatory way, but that is going to happen no matter what term we use. I tell my daughter that, if anything, she is “differently abled.” When she struggles with self-esteem because of her learning difficulties, I tell her she simply learns differently, but she can learn everything that anyone else can learn. I don’t allow her to look at her autism as a disability.
That being said, I have referred to her in conversations with other parents as having “special needs,” because it is just one of the best ways to talk to others without having to list everything my kid needs. It helps them to understand things a little better without going overboard.