FIRST THE DEFINITION as per ANSWERS.COM
(To view the definition in its entirety, please click HERE)
This article is about basic idea of special needs. For other uses, see Special needs (disambiguation).
Special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities such as medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or the International Classification of Diseases 9th edition both give guidelines for clinical diagnosis.
More narrowly, it is a legal term applying in foster care in the United States, derived from the language in the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. It is a diagnosis used to classify children as needing "more" services than those children without special needs who are in the foster care system. It is a diagnosis based on behavior, childhood and family history, and is usually made by a health care professional.
Special needs definition is further broken down by state and further more by country. Each state has it's very own definition of Special Needs as per their own laws and recognition of such.
You may find these answers per state at NACAC adoption subsidy.
You will need to view the state profile individually and investigate each state's definition of "special needs". The term "special needs" is not used to devalue your child/children or to
present your child with feelings of discrimination. It is simply a part of the adoption jargon that you must learn to deal with on a daily basis, therefore developing a thick skin to such jargon would be of benefit to you and your family at the beginning of the process so that you might stand strong for your child from day one. "Special needs" can be disabilities, age, minority race, sibling groups, at risk children, and waiting or older children. Most states have a very loose definition of the term "special needs" and will provide your children adopted through the state or government foster care with a special subsidy or "payment" in a monthly installment in order to ensure your child receives quality care through your family at all times. This amount varies by state statute and will or will not include specialty care such as psych and medical either via insurance or additional payment. This information is also listed online and can be searched at will. When adopting from a different state than that which you dwell in, the "interstate compact" will decide the state's definition of "special needs" they will use for your children and thereby deciding what amount of subsidy your child will receive for care.
COUNTRY SPECIAL NEEDS:
While there is not a list per country for special needs adoption as there is a list by state. Some of the same rules and regulations as to definitions of such apply to certain countries. Some countries will view small things such as missing finger, or anomalies on the face or skin all the way up to Down syndrome or blindness as "special needs". Off the top of my head, to name a couple, China, Hong Kong and Russia are three of these said countries. Some countries however do have many children that You or I may define as "special needs", our state may define as "special needs" or that our government may define as "special needs" but the "giving" country does not define the child as such. This DOES NOT mean that your child is not "Special needs". To name a couple of countries that are "tight" with "special needs" titles in adoption, Taiwan and Vietnam will suffice as such.
Why would you want your child to be special needs? This is an interesting dilemma indeed. Sometimes there are grants that may help you accomplish adoptions of children with "special needs" simply because they choose to use this defining element of a child or adoptive family to eliminate families not "deserving" of their grants according to their bylaws. And even though the "giving country" does not perceive your child as "special needs" the grant writers may. The second reason it is important to be able to understand if your child is or is not "special needs" is because YOU as the caregiver must be able to plan well for your child's care and future. If the child does require special interventions whatsoever, they must be considered and given due diligence to. This is not for you to label your child "special needs" to harm them but to help them and possibly help you. I would suggest that you use the term "special needs" for grants and understanding your family dynamics and not in front of your children if at all possible. Again the purpose of the term "special needs" as outlined earlier in this piece is to give understanding to all parties involved in the adoption. Personally, I look at special needs two ways. 1. The U.S. way of classification which is to give "hard to place" children and honest "special needs" children a boost by way of fee reductions and subsidies so that they may find homes with great families instead of waiting forever simply because of money issues existing in the adopting family's budget. True special needs adoptions can be more expensive once the child is home simply because of medical care and other types of care necessary to sustain the adopted child's comfort level and well being 2. When looking at a child, anything that is not "normal" and may take more care such as diet, therapies, psych treatments, medicines, and any time consuming professional visits, in my book is "special needs". This is not for fee reduction purposes, but so that the receiving family may gauge their future and costs of the child entering their home honestly by understanding the extra efforts the "special needs" child may need in order to thrive in their family unit. So as you can see, there is a logistical meaning and a cosmetic meaning but both will serve their purpose to the child by defining the child better and providing better understanding to all involved in the child's future.
A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD VS. A CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:
The difference between a special needs child and a child WITH special needs is YOUR Attitude!!!
There are many children in life that have a defined special need but this does not at all define your child as "special needs". My definition of "special needs" is anything that you may need to keep in your head that can harm your child at any given time. Such as asthma, allergies, diseases, learning issues, and behavior problems. OR may have to alert any caregiver to any need above normal or to watch for in the child, observe or administer to the child in the form of medicines or even special treatment. By that definition, I know I have just thereby identified most of the children you know as having special needs. So beit. "special needs" should never be an embarrassing term that makes a parent cringe but more of a way of perceiving how to define your child's very directed care and requirements. This necessary new way of thinking as the child's parents will also force your mind to keep their needs in a special room of your mind for quick calling upon when necessary.
Ok.. this is all fine and dandy, why then do they define a child's race or their behavior as special needs? This has been, honestly the most disturbing thing I as an adoptive parent have had to overcome in my own mind. While on one hand, as an adoptive parent that adopts interculturally or cross culturally I understand from A-Z the importance of continuing a child's culture and honing the child's ability to identify with their very own race, on the other hand I found it at first very alarming if not cruel that a human being would define another's race or age as a "special need". I have however since the beginning of my adoption education and journey come to an understanding that race and age do have to play a part in an adoption homestudy and the child's adoption profile make up in order for I as the adoptive parent to be completely honest and give due respect to considering the right children for my environment, living style, family members, the child's well being.. etc. I know this sounds a little off kilter but one thing I as an adoptive parent cross culturally adopting had to do was "prove" beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can A. Identify with the child's race enough to healthily interact with them, B. understand the plights of the specific minorities that exist at least to a level of helping them find their way through in a healthy psychological state and C. Be open to learning about the child open mindedly and sharing their holidays and special background to the point of enjoyment within myself so that they in turn may know I love them unconditionally. So simply stated, I can be honest about my understanding them and responsible to them in that understanding. Now age as a "special need" is more of a personal thing with each adoptive parent. One has to evaluate where you are psychologically and whether you are ready to parent say, a 9 year old. It is a known fact that children above the age of 6 will not find homes as easily as a child under the age of 6. Each family has their reasoning for choosing a child of any age. So the sole reason for a child over 6 being "special needs" is simply because they have become hard to place within the system. There is no real scientific reason, except people usually want a cute baby to love and grow with from day one. Sad but true in very many cases.
While you start your adoptive journey or continue your adoptive journey, I hope that I have helped you to understand a little more as to why the term "special needs" is so necessary in the adoption world and how to view it without it defining your child or devaluing your child.
To find out more on special needs adoption per country, simply contact an adoption agency servicing the country you wish to adopt from and ask what known "special needs" the country has recogonized as such. Keep in mind that a child you adopt that may not have noted "special needs" may very well have "special needs" found by your physician upon arrival in the U.S. So at anytime, in ANY adoption, please consider that you do not indeed know everything about your child and make sure you are ok with "special needs" as a whole just in case God blesses your family with a child with special considerations!!
TAIWAN:
A side note on Taiwan. Taiwan orphanages do not consider much as being special needs. Including heart murmur, eating problems, blue spell children, G6PD and others. So be very careful to understand that with Taiwan, what the U.S. considers special needs will not be
the same whatsoever. Do not compare Taiwan with China on this aspect either for China will
define way more as special needs than Taiwan does. So, when you sign on with an agency servicing Taiwan, please make sure to understand their definition of "WELL CHILD" or "HEALTHY CHILD". This is so important that you do this. Just be prepared for definition differences with this country.
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