I think we’re ready for the next step: de-specializing special needs

When I was a kid, I read My Special Brother. It was a groundbreaking book at the time, normalizing Down’s syndrome, and destigmatizing the experiences of special-needs families. I remember wishing that I, too, would have a brother like that, who would bring so much love and joy.

Well, Hashem in His infinite wisdom decided to gift us with a child who has special needs, and my perspective has shifted. I think it’s great that in the past 35 years we’ve destigmatized the special-needs experience. Now, I think we’re ready for the next step: de-specializing special needs.

The world of special needs is filled with euphemisms. My son has autism spectrum disorder (Asperger’s for us lay people) and therefore looks relatively typical to the untrained eye. It’s both a blessing and a curse.