Home Mumsnet Campaigns Myths about parenting children with special needs The aim of our This Is My Child campaign is good old-fashioned consciousness-raising about what it's like to be the parent of a child with special needs. By Mumsnet HQ | Last updated Jan 2, 2024 It also aims to debunk unhelpful - and incorrect - assumptions about how children with special needs behave - and suggests how we can all challenge those assumptions to help alleviate the stress this places on parents.With our campaign partners, Every Disabled Child Matters, Contact A Family and Mencap, and with help from the National Autistic Society, we've pulled together six common myths about children with special needs.MYTH 1: Behaviour disorders are a fashionable excuse for bad behaviour and poor parentingMYTH 2: If your child has a disability, you're given lots of easily accessible supportMYTH 3: People who get disability-related payments for their children are scroungersMYTH 4: Language about special needs doesn't matterMYTH 5: People with autism are unaffectionate geniusesMYTH 6: you can always tell when someone has a disabilityBack to This Is My Child homepageRead the discussion about the campaign's launchAugust 2013Last updated: over 1 year ago