The Negative Effect of Stigmatization on Children with Special Needs

 Intro

  When children with special needs are treated differently or badly, they can feel stigmatized and left out. This can be incredibly damaging to the self-esteem of these children. If you’re dealing with a child who has special needs, it’s important to be careful with the way you talk about them in their presence to avoid adding to their feelings of being less than others because of their differences. Consider the negative effect of stigmatization on children with special needs and try your best to make sure that you don’t cause your child any unnecessary stress or harm by judging or rejecting them based on their disability.

Outlines:

* Why is stigma still a problem in education?

* Why does stigmatization occur?

* How does stigma negatively impact those affected?

* Solutions to stopping stigmatization.

* Be there for yourself even as you take care of others

* What do we do now?

Why is stigma still a problem in education?:

Stigma is a problem in the education system, where children are isolating children based on special needs. When a child becomes stigmatized, they are more likely to be excluded from social groups and activities, which can lead to them feeling isolated. The effect of isolation can lead to low self-esteem and depression, as well as increased anxiety and anger levels. Educators need to create the link between typical children and children with special needs so that stigma does not continue in the education system

Why does stigmatization occur?:

Children with special needs are often subjected to stigmatization and isolation in the communities they

live in. This is due to the lack of understanding that people have about what it means to be a special needs

individual, and the negative connotations associated with disability. The negative words used by society to

describe children who have special needs are a major contributor to this problem. It creates the link

between typical children, who are not disabled, and those who are. This can lead to isolation for children

with special needs because they may not always be able to join their peers at school or social events

without feeling different or like an outsider.

How does stigma negatively impact those affected?:

      Stigmatization hurts children with special difficulties because it isolates them from their peers, classmates, and society at large. It also creates the link between the typical child and a special child which can be very limiting for children's self-esteem. Society at large feeds into this by providing negative words to describe these children which stigmatizes them even further. Children with special needs typically struggle in school because they feel isolated and are not able to participate in activities like recess or field trips because they are too difficult for the teachers to manage. These children often face bullying from other students as well which can lead to lower self-esteem as they feel different, not accepted, or like an outcast.

Solutions to stopping stigmatization:

Children who have special needs should not be stigmatized by society. One solution is to stop using negative words like retarded and disabled. The average person does not realize that the word or phrase has a negative connotation, so when children hear it they feel bad about themselves. Another way to solve this problem is to create a link between the typical child and a special child. This will make it more common for people to see children with special needs as just that, kids who are different from them, but who do not deserve to be stigmatized because of their differences.

Be there for yourself even as you take care of others:

I have experienced the devastating effects that stigmatization has on children with special needs. As an aunt to a child who has autism, I have seen him be pushed away and feel alone in his school setting because of the negative words that children use and understand. In my personal experience, I'm not left out as much but for all the time spent caring for my brother's needs, I never get enough time to take care of myself. I have been fortunate to have an understanding family, who still see me as their little sister or daughter even when it seems like my only responsibility is to take care of my brother.

What do we do now?:

I have experienced the devastating effects that stigmatization has on children with special needs. As an aunt to a child who has autism, I have seen him be pushed away and feel alone in his school setting because of the negative words that children use and understand. In my personal experience, I'm not left out as much but for all the time spent caring for my brother's needs, I never get enough time to take care of myself. I have been fortunate to have an understanding family, who still see me as their little sister or daughter even when it seems like my only responsibility is to take care of my brother.