Everybody has needs. As humans our needs are endless. They also keep changing over time. Children are no different! Some children actively involve in their day-to-day life without any additional requirements. Some will require an extra help. This could range from a simple emotional support to a large infrastructural change. It is very common to always equate a child with special need as a child with disability. Not every child with special need is disabled! Though the vice-versa is always true.

Special need is an umbrella term for the extra requirement due to an underlying disorder. It could be due to an illness, impairment, disability, or psychological imbalance. A child with epilepsy, diabetics, HIV, etc are in need of medicines to lead a normal life. A child who cannot see requires spectacles. Adolescent age is a period that requires extra emotional support. A child who has difficulty in learning will require extra attention. A child with a deformed knee will require a brace or an assistive device to move around. A child with behavioral issues requires a psychologist’s support. A child using a wheelchair may require an infrastructural modification like accessible classrooms, toilets, and ramps. Needs are varied and can range from simple to complex in nature. It can be something that can be addressed through a specialist or by technology or environmental change.

Orphaned abandoned and Surrendered Children with special needs are also a group of children who require additional support. Among them are children with underlying diseases, children who have experienced severe traumas, children with behavioral issues, learning disabilities, developmental delays, locomotor disabilities, and adolescents. The goal is to ensure that the special need is assessed, understood, and addressed completely which leads them to have equal opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Children with disabilities and developmental delays who require continuous support are evaluated and if necessary, a program is developed that contains services (individualized on the basis of the child’s specific needs) that will help to further enhance the child’s developmental skills and encourage growth. The important step is to be empathetic and understand their future dreams, find a solution that would lead them to their dreams by addressing all the special needs that arise on the way.

Heavenna- Sr.Consultant,OAS REHAB