I know I've ranted about person-first language before.

[conuly]

I think that the linguistic contortions people go through to use nouns in place of perfectly acceptable adjectives are insane, and draw more attention to the oh-so-stigmatizing disability than just speaking naturally.

However. Special needs is not an adjective. You can't be a "special needs child" because special modifies needs and needs doesn't modify anything, since it's a noun. It sounds stupid. It is stupid. The awkwardness of using a phrase in this manner, again, calls attention to those Very Special Needs of Blossom whatever child that is. Stop it.

Additionally, I'd like to ask which needs a child might have (since it's always special needs child, never special needs person) that are special. I mean, so special that they merit this label. Don't all children have needs, some of which are unique? Or is it that most kids are all alike, and only a few are special enough to merit the label of doom?

Comments

[leora.livejournal.com]

They explained this in substitute teacher training. They said:
What does it mean for a child to have special needs?

Then they told us: All children have special needs. However, some needs are legally protected and schools are required to accomodate them. We refer to children who have legally protected special needs as in the special needs program.

[conuly]

That makes sense, thank you :)

[pne.livejournal.com]

You can't be a "special needs child"

True; but you can be a special-needs child.

needs doesn't modify anything, since it's a noun.

English has a long tradition of nouns modifying other nouns. Consider "apple pie" or "support board".

[pne.livejournal.com]

To clarify: I think that you need a hyphen because 'special needs', as a unit, modifies 'child'; it's not '(special (needs child))' but '((special needs) child)'.

On the other hand, I wouldn't hyphenate 'Aaronic priesthold bearer'. Not sure why.

[conuly]

True; but you can be a special-needs child.

Yup, but I never see that.

English has a long tradition of nouns modifying other nouns. Consider "apple pie" or "support board".

...

_shutup

[leora.livejournal.com]

They explained this in substitute teacher training. They said:
What does it mean for a child to have special needs?

Then they told us: All children have special needs. However, some needs are legally protected and schools are required to accomodate them. We refer to children who have legally protected special needs as in the special needs program.

[conuly]

That makes sense, thank you :)

[pne.livejournal.com]

You can't be a "special needs child"

True; but you can be a special-needs child.

needs doesn't modify anything, since it's a noun.

English has a long tradition of nouns modifying other nouns. Consider "apple pie" or "support board".

[pne.livejournal.com]

To clarify: I think that you need a hyphen because 'special needs', as a unit, modifies 'child'; it's not '(special (needs child))' but '((special needs) child)'.

On the other hand, I wouldn't hyphenate 'Aaronic priesthold bearer'. Not sure why.

[conuly]

True; but you can be a special-needs child.

Yup, but I never see that.

English has a long tradition of nouns modifying other nouns. Consider "apple pie" or "support board".

...

_shutup