Entry Number One

Having a child with exceptional needs is a hard thing for every parent. Most parents do not prepare for it to happen but still welcome the child in with open arms. By having a good home environment the child becomes more at ease and able to adapt around others. Most parents go on treating their child just like any other child with a few modifications. From experiences I have seen siblings of children with special needs treat them just like they would any other brother and sister. To the sibling, love covers up any difference that that their sibling may have.

For a child to be considered “exceptional” they must be classified under one of these themes:

- visual impairment

- speech and language impairment

- auditory impairment

- deaf and/or blind

- autism

- developmental disabilities

- multiple disabilities

- orthopedic impairment

- specific learning disabilities

- emotional/behavior disorder

- traumatic brain injury

- multi-sensory impairment

- serious health impairments

However, a gifted child is also classified as “exceptional” which is something I don’t think many people know. What exactly is gifted anyways? According to the National Association for Gifted Children’s (NAGC) website in response to that question is that, “The quick response is that there is, as yet, no universally agreed upon answer to this question. Giftedness, intelligence, and talent are fluid concepts and may look different in different contexts and cultures.” So I guess that can be a reason why only the classifications listed for a child to be considered “exceptional” and not so much the concept of being gifted.