how can we ever take political correctness seriously when normal words suddenly become "hate crimes"

[Charis1]

not sure if this link will work, but this head teacher was investigated by the police for a "hate crime" for using the term "special needs" when referring to ASD.

schoolsimprovement.net/headteacher-cleared-in-police-disability-hate-crime-investigation-for-saying-autistic-pupil-had-special-needs/

I am a wheelchair user and therefore have special needs. I have no SEN. Utterly bizarre that the OP insists they are the same thing!

Page 2 of this thread was

-SN and SEN are the same thing.
-No they are really not.
-Yes, they are.
-No, you are stupid if you think that.
-Sorry, I am right, they are definitely the same, I am a teacher.
-Nope, no they are completely different things.
-Yes, yes they are the same.
-You are wrong.

For almost a whole page with no explanation from either side!

As an aside, surely 'dual heritage' is not a sufficient replacement for 'mixed race'? I'm dual heritage but I'm not mixed race, they are different?

But the op has filed an important role.

She is a teacher of 20 years. She teaches children with SEN and with SN. She is now a consultant who teaches the teachers.

Right there is why some of us spend our evenings banging our heads against hard objects after trying to get those who are supposed to facilitate our child's education to understand the most basic fucking thing.

Well, teachers being taught stuff that is innaccurate and out of date will fit in well with the nhs having to be taught about ours and our childrens needs too

For almost a whole page with no explanation from either side!

Special Educational Need. Special Need.

The clue is the word 'educational'.

See also 'pudding'/'Yorkshire pudding'.
'sea'/'seaside'.
'dog'/'German Shepherd dog'.

In this case, all that seems to have happened is that a parent with a history of making vexatious complaints...made a vexatious complaint.

The police investigated it because, I believe, the police are obliged to look into complaints, however trivial or ridiculous. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.) Having looked into it, the police decided the complaint was ill-founded, and did nothing.

So this is not really about political correctness, gone mad or otherwise. It's about one parent who likes causing trouble. Perhaps it would have been better if the police had given the parent a good talking-to for wasting their time (and perhaps they did).

I thought that any need that has an impact on learning can be a sen. So needs that are physical or medical can be a sen if adaptions or extra help is needed (eg a child having to leave the classroom for medical reasons, may need extra help to catch up with what they have missed).

I agree Aldi but for some reason I can't quite fathom mixed race is often frowned upon now.

I look forward to the day when it is not necessary to comment, label or explain.

Apple didn't see second page

Which poster says "as a a general rule don't be a dick"?
Think that's a good rule for life

Apple?
Random word insertion

An educational "consultant" of 20 years standing not understanding the difference between SEN and SN goes some way toward explaining why my DS, who has both SNs and SENs ended up being taught in a corridor.

As a general rule of thumb, if you're not sure how someone wishes to be described, ask them. I am dual heritage, but not mixed race, however, if I met someone and, for whatever reason, was going to have to describe their ethnicity, I'd ask. This is not hard. As Hak says, I've yet to come across anyone who says things like "PC gawn maaaaaaaaaad" without them then following it up with wishing to be able to say something eye wateringly homophobic, racist, ablist or otherwise abusive.

Or inaccurate and stupid

"you cant even sing baa baa black sheep anymore"

Or that...

I'm amazed the police had the time and resources to investigate this terrible crime. Don't they often say they're too busy to attend a burglary on the same day.

Yanbu

Recently I've been told on here that "hysterical" is sexist. I shouldn't use "Meltdown" as it is 'a medically defined terms' that shouldn't be used to a normal tantrum (it isn't)

I admit I may have been wrong to use the term "the disabled" as opposed to "people with disabilities" but if that's the case someone should really tell "dogs for the disabled" to stop offending the people they are campaigning for.

And today, (not on MN) apparently "his and hers" is a sexist ordering of words and I should have said "hers and his" which is alphabetically correct.

I give up

"People first" language is important. It's not that hard really. And just because not everyone has caught up does not mean that you just don't have to try. I say this as the parent of a child with disabilities.

So what does giving up consist of?

Does it mean ignoring anyone who has a life outside our experience?

Surely if someone tells you they think 'hysterical' is sexist and that 'meltdown' is not simply a term for a tantrum the logical thing to do is to listen to their reasons and decide if you agree or not?

I was on here when someone suggested something really innocuous was anti- French. It was interesting and ultimately very funny.
But why is hearing the case for or against just sooooo challenging?

My son has ASD and used to have meltdowns. I think some parents describing their tantruming toddler as having a meltdown are massively underestimating what a meltdown looks like. And a meltdown isn't about frustration, it's about absolute overload.
But I don't care if people use meltdown any more than I am bothered by other examples of somewhat self indulgent hyperbole.mi don't care [shrug]

But why does it mean that one should just give up, exhausted by words?

Interesting post Compo I just remember him telling me that even though it was a while ago.

I once baby sat a child whose father described as having meltdowns.

I was incredibly amused that these just consisted of her doing 'the board' when you attempted to get her into the buggy and shouting a bit.

It has made me very aware that when I used that term to other people who may be in charge of my kids for awhile,that I actually clarify what a meltdown can look like.

yes, I know.
I knew a man (also) who said her child had meltdowns when asked to put her shoes on. He then said 'put your shoes on' she shook her head, he said it again, she did it.

*his

(Subconsciously sexist)

Pagwatch I completely agree about the meltdown thing. Any old run of the mill tantrum/tears/sulk/panic seems to be described as a meltdown these days and it really winds me up. I don't particularly like the phrase either way and I would question why people living or working with autism should want to take ownership of the word, because as someone upthread pointed out, it's not a medically defined term, but at least with profound autism is represents a real phenomenon that is unlike anything NT people suffer from.

These days it seems that nothing can be nice, it has to be amazing, no experience can compared to being like something, it has to be 'literally' it, and no common or garden tantrum can be just that when it could be a 'meltdown.' Everyone is so flipping dramatic about everything.

Recently I've been told on here that "hysterical" is sexist.

One person on the internet telling you that the etymology of hysterical is sexist (it is) or that they find it offensive is not the same as being told you can't use the words hysterical or hysteria.

I think you will find that 'hysterical' and 'hysteria' are both in common use.

can anyone tell me about "ragamuffin" is that racist?