Recognizing Special Needs

We all have special needs at least some of the time. Children may have special needs which impact their mobility, their learning, or their social skills. When we are going through a major change, or an illness, or maybe we have a long term challenge, it helps when our needs are recognized and resources are available to help.

Frequently I get asked about a particular child. Someone will describe the child's behavior and ask me what I think might be going on. Since I have been working with children and parents for some time, I often can get a "sense" of the situation. If the behavior feels to me like it is within the range of "normal" for this child's age or experiences, we talk about what might help this child adjust right now. Sometimes after I have heard the description, I have what I call a "red flag" feeling. A little bell is sounding inside, a flag is waving in front of my eyes. My experience tells me that something different may be going on for this child. This child may need some extra assistance.

Without seeing the child personally, I can't tell for sure. But this is a time to encourage the parents or other adults to get some more help. Get some more eyes on this child, observing and listening. There are organizations whose job it is to do assessments of children, and then after this evaluation, to hook them up with services that will help them. Some parents may feel like "he will grow out of this. Why stress him out with strangers looking at him?" Well, the sooner the concern is recognized and addressed, the better this is for the child and family. Then, with more information and ideas, this child can move forward.

So, if you are feeling like something might be going on for a child, if you have questions about this child's development, find a local professional who can help you figure out what strategies would assist this child. Yes, we all have special needs, at least some of the time. And we all need help, at least some of the time. It takes a village, and everyone in it, to raise a child and support a family.