Do special education children get abused/neglected?

Answer 1

Sure. Abuse and neglect are opportunistic crimes, and such crimes happen to those who are or appear to be the most vulnerable. However, professionals who work with special ed kids are typically top notch and dedicated. The only cure for the abuse/neglect of special ed children is supervision of the adults who work, live, or deal with them.

Answer 2

There are laws (in the US) such as IDEA and FAPE which supposedly guarantee all children a free and appropriate public education. Some schools are great at identifying and working with these children. Unfortunately, since neurological disorders which cause most sped problems are not visible on the outside, many educators refuse to aknowledge that they exist and do fight to get out of providing an appropriate education.

Unfortunately, a child with ADHD, dysgraphia, dyslexia or often aspergers (to name only a few), has no outward appearance of being different so the school systems insist on trying to force them to learn the same way a child with no disability would learn.

These are intelligent children and they can learn but need to be taught in a way that other children may not need, such as more hands on experience, more time to figure the answer, as their cognitive recall is slower but it is there, etc.

When these children are not allowed to learn the way they learn best and are punished for not being able to keep up, it is abuse, so YES, sped children are all too often abused by the very people who supposedly care so much about children that they chose a career of working with them.

When they are taught in the manner in which they learn best, they often thrive and do better than their non "disabled" peers. Children with learning disabilities do not necessarily have a disability. Often, they have high IQs and have a learning difference, not disabitlity but difference which causes them to be abused because its easier to assume a child doesn't want to learn than it is to teach them in a way that the teacher or school district is not as familiar with.

For the record, many times the ways that are best for a child in special ed to learn are also the best and easiest ways for most children to learn.

Answer 3

Obvously, many get the care and support they need. But not alll. I'm going to give you two answers--I'm not entirely sure which one you're looking for.

1) In schools, special needs children are generally treated welll--though the teasing of other children is frequently a problem. But the really serious issue is that the schools often do not provide thenecessary resources--and special needs classroooms become little more than day-care centers. The children's education is negleted. That's not universal--there are good programs--but its a widespread problem

2) Outside school, most parents and other people are, if anything, TOO considerate and protective. But studies and national statistics show that children with disabilities are more likely to be abused or negleted than children who do not have disabilities.

Answer 4

No actually I have found that Special Education kids are treated better because they need the special attention. Now as far as being around their peers these children generaly don't feel as though they belong because their peers don't understand them. I myself was a special education student and I didn't fit in at school because my peers labelled me as Stupid becuase it took longer for me to figure out how to do things, but I wasn't abused & neglected at home.

Answer 5

Absolutley!! I see it on a daily basis. Just as anyother child gets abused, special needs children do also. Many people have a tough time dealing with the fact that special needs children need a little more patience and the unfortunate ending to that is abuse and/or neglect. It truly is a harsh world.

Answer 6

it is sad, but true. But not everywhere, contrary to what you would think, there are actually good people out in this world that look out for those less fortunate than others. I wish everyone could be treated equally, but that makes me sound like a pageant queen.
I am not saying that every special needs person is treated illfully, It has just been my experience (about 75% of the stories I hear about special needs stories, somebody abuses or neglects them.)

In other words, it depends on where you are and what you hear and see.

Answer 7

I would say that they are not abused but definitely neglected. It all has to do with the survival of the fitness. All animal species will recognize that one of the group is different or is not up to par with the rest of the group. This individual is picked on and in some cases ousted from the group. Unfortunately, humans, with all our sophistication are still an animal species. Although there are law to protect those who are weak, everyone does not follow these laws. The result is that the most vulnerable are treated less than equals.

Answer 8

Not necessarily. The fact they are handicapped might be an attraction to deviants. On the other hand, neglection is practiced and/or noticed in regular education children as well

Answer 9

Unfortunately, many children are abused and neglected, particularly those with special needs.

Answer 10

Yes in certain situations.

I worked in group homes with adults. The good news is, that the abusive people dont last very long, they are easy to spot, and if they are not caught and fired right away they usually quit out of frustration within a week anyways, angry controlling people cant usually handle that kind of work for very long.

The bad news is, that many are abused and neglected at home. Abuse and neglect is the #1 reason for mental retardation (this is what I was told at work). Many come from domestic violence situations, and have traumatic brain injury due to malnutrition, and physical abuse (inclung abuse inflicted on the mother while still in the womb). (Shaken baby syndrome is a good example) Many of my clients were not permittled to see their families for this reason.

I dont want you to think that all mentally retarded people get this way for this reason, and start hating their familes. Chances are, if you know their family and they are involved, they are not abusive. ( It takes A LOT of love and patience to stand by and raise a child with a disability. ) There are lots of other genetic disorders that cause MR, and brain injuries can also reslut from accidents.


Unfortunately, in our society anybody who is vulnerable in any way becomes a magnet for evil people. But people in good homes (either group homes or with their families) usually have at least a couple people looking out for them.