Comments on: Why My Child Doesn’t Look Like They Have Special Needs

By: Nena Lawrence Barnett

Nena Lawrence Barnett

Thank you for your article. I admire you for being an advocate for your children. I know parents who did not support their children as you do. I am a special needs teacher, I have worked with students with many different disabilities. I have been a self-contained and resource teacher. I have worked with regular education teachers who do not understand the students I work with on a daily basis. I have heard them say, “They can’t learn how to read” or ” With that behavior, they should be suspended”. It bothers me to hear things like this. We never know what people are going through. Most of us are not doctors and should not try to give advice to parents who live with their children 24/7. I try to be supportive for my students and for their parents.

By: Marie

Marie

In reply to Destiny. So are their parents! We tend to forget that we are also impoetant! I understood that when my son put a blanket on me after I spent all night caring for him. We find strenght where we never thought we had!

By: Dr. Kathryn Garforth

Dr. Kathryn Garforth

This is a wonderful post that parents and educators need to read. It is so hard to hear that your child looks fine. Having your close family members and friends seemingly dismiss the daily struggles you face even just to get out of the door on time, hurts. Having to fight with your child’s school just to get the supports they need put in place is exhausting. Especially if they are not even aware of the problems in the first place.

By: Deborah Paul

Deborah Paul

This is just beautiful. My son is one of those who doesn’t “look” like he has a disability He started working with Early Intervention at 4 months.

By: Veronica Soler

Veronica Soler

Thanks for this publication. I feel the same way. I have a kid with special needs and because his first language is spanish and so mb etimes he doesn’t know how to communicate in school with the teachers or counselor they just tell me he is a normal kid . He has a 504 that I don’t know how to work with since I am not completely satisfied with it.

By: Tamera

Tamera

I wish more teachers and school staff would actually read up on things and educate them selfs.
My daughter has a iep and is told to be more responsible and remember her items but her anxiety makes it difficult to remember items when the bell rings. I have been told she acts fine at school are you sure it’s not something going on at home. She’s SPD , dyslexic , dyspraxia ,anxiety.

By: The Holy Mess (@SaraBorgstede)

The Holy Mess (@SaraBorgstede)

What a wonderful post! Our children at times look put together so we’ve heard these comments, too. (At other times we are melting down all over the place so it’s very clear that they have special needs!! Both ways bring their own challenges.) Thanks for sharing!

By: The Jenny Evolution

The Jenny Evolution

In reply to Nancy Mitchell.

And I send all of that back to you as well, Nancy. It’s disheartening when people disqualify all you’re doing just because they can’t “see” the disability or how hard it is… beyond just raising a kiddo. <3

By: Nancy Mitchell

Nancy Mitchell

Wow — so true and so great. I have a son with autism and my mom would say “he looks fine to me.” If she ever took the time to look deeper, she would have seen his “stimming” whenever he was excited or stressed. She would have seen how he ran away whenever he heard loud noises. She would have seen his lack of eye contact and limited interests. When this same son was older, he developed a curvature in his spine and had to wear a brace. Because he often look stooped, it really bothered my mom. She noticed! People are just so superficial and appearances are everything. What you want — and certainly what I wanted — was some acknowledgement of all I was doing and sacrificing to help my son. I give that to you now because you earned it!

By: Yummy mummy 77

Yummy mummy 77

Wow, an amazing read, and one that really hits home. Our 6 yr old has come a huge way in the last 2 yrs, thanks to an awful lot of hard work on our part and that of his special school. To people who only see snippets of him, they dont see any of his ‘special needs’ or how he struggles with his learning, anxiety, sensory, speech, understanding, toileting, social communication, play, i could go on and on. Fantastic, thankyou.?