Care for children with Special Needs

The designation “children with special needs” is for children who may have challenges which are more
severe than the typical child, and could possibly last a lifetime. These children will need extra support,
and additional services.

They will have distinct goals, and will need added guidance and help meeting academic, social,
emotional, and sometimes medical milestones. Persons with special needs may need lifetime guidance
and support while dealing with everyday issues such as housing, employment, social involvement, and
finances.

For children with special needs, early intervention is an important step towards helping the child fulfills
his or her full academic, emotional, and social potential. Early intervention refers to a process during
which the developmental abilities of the child are evaluated.

BASIC NEEDS

 FOOD AND SHELTER

Children cannot acquire their own food or sustain any reasonable shelter. The initial responsibility of
their parents or careers is this to provide a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs.

PHYSICAL SAFETY

Children cannot protect themselves from aggressive adults (and other, stronger, children). They thus
need others to provide physical safety, keeping them from harm and defending them when they are
threatened or attacked.

EMOTIONAL SECURITY

As their minds are developing, there is much that children do not understand and even the most
innocent situations can be deeply distressing.

DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS

SOCIAL SKILLS

Children develop into people who must live and work with others. For this they need to learn the rules
of society. They need to be able to communicate their ideas and desires. They need to persuade and
change minds.

CAREER ABILITIES

To become functioning adults, children need to learn all kinds of things, both at school and outside-
many abilities that are useful in developing careers are not taught at school.
SPIRITUAL NEEDS

This is the quiet need inside that wants to know and believe in a higher spiritual power that ourselves.
This need increases our awareness and sensitivity to the greater aspects of life.

CREATIVE NEEDS

This is the need to express yourself in any manner you desire. This can include the arts, dancing, acting,
and writing-almost anything that allows you to feel imaginative and inspired.

INTERNAL SKILLS

Children also need to learn to be happy in themselves and to cope with the difficulties and traumas of
life. They thus need to learn self-confidence and emotional maturity.