To think this is a really awful thing to say? Tw

[Goldyy]

Referring to children who don’t have behavioural issues or SEND as ‘normal’ children?

Well yes of course, who would say that.

Yanbu

No child is normal anyway, they all have differences somewhere down the line x

Oh great, another word for the bleeding hearts to get offended about.

I object to SEND children being called 'special needs'.
Why are they special? Are my non-disabled chidren not special?

It’s an unpleasant thing to say.

YABU to use trigger warning for this though.

I have Sen children and this doesn't bother me at all!

I dare say most people don't even use that term anymore.

But SEN stands for Special Educational Needs.

Meh. I've never heard neurotypical outside of mn. My daughter falls under SEN.

Whenever Ive heard people refer to "normal" it's generally just a clumsy way for them to say NT. I dont think Ive ever heard it used in a way to make SEN or ND kids feel inferior or less.

I think if people arent involved in SEN in some way (eg all their kids and all their friends kids are NT) then they dont necessarily have the language. I dont think, in most cases "normal" is meant to insupt anyone.

It's "special" meaning particular to that person, not "better". See below.

I'd swap the SEN label from my child for your Non SEN labelled child at the drop of a hat! Back to you though OP and your original question...... YANBU it's not offensive to me or.my SEN daughter.

Don't be silly!

SEND
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The 'special' refers to the educational needs, not the child.

YANBU, I don’t like this either.

As a parent of children with SEND I prefer the term "additional needs" but if you want to bitch about terminology you could try 24 hours in the life of a "additional needs" mum!

I just assume they have a limited vocabulary lol

Dunno but I hope they’re nicer people than you!

What does ‘normal’ mean?????

Because they have specialist ‘needs’. The kind of needs most kids dont have. 🙄

It was probably a slip of the tongue - we have all said things that we don't actually mean when somehow what you are trying to say doesn't come out right (menopause anyone?).

Boring

Normal kids don't get special treatment

I'm 15 years into parenting a child who has SEN. I've only ever heard "normal" as a slip up.

Arguably the term "neurotypical" is just a fairly transparent rebadging of "normal" and it too will soon fall out of favour. Perhaps that is already happening with the whole "allistic" thing.

In all honesty I can’t get too worked up about it. Most language around SEN and neurodivergence is in some way drawing a distinction between people who are the “norm” and people who have “differences from the norm”.

Like neurotypical and neurodivergent.

”Normal” can simply mean the norm, typical, average.

i dont think it’s the best choice of language, but in most cases it’s used I don’t think the intent is cruel.

(saving this as ND parent of ND kids)

Depends on the context, tone and who is saying it. I have a few friends with kids with SEN and they do say that.

SEN kids don’t get special treatment either.