In 2023 we introduced a new Category to our tournament for Competitors with Disabilities. While some people also understand or considered this Special Needs, for the tournament aspect and for the safety of all competitors we will consider the following information to accommodate students in what we consider the correct category for their safety. 

Special Needs

The term “special needs” is extremely general. As it’s used today, it refers to any behavioral, physical, emotional, or learning difficulties that require specialized accommodations of any sort at school, work, or in the community.

While the list of possible diagnoses included under the label “special needs” is enormous, some of the most common relate to academic settings and can include:

  • Autism
  • ADD/ADHD
  • Learning disabilities (dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc.)
  • Tourette’s syndrome
  • Disorders that incorporate intellectual disabilities, such as Down syndrome
  • Disorders that make physical activity challenging, including cerebral palsy, blindness, or deafness,
  • Speech and language disorders ranging from apraxia of speech to stuttering
  • Emotional and behavioral disorders including anxiety, depression, oppositional-defiant disorder, and more
  • Physical differences such as amputated limbs or dwarfism
  • Other lesser known disorders, such as non-verbal learning disorder, also fall under the term special needs.

Information obtained from VeryWellFamily Website

Special Needs

The special educational requirements of those with learning difficulties, emotional or behavioral problems, or physical disabilities.

So it appears that they are educational requirements.

“Special needs” is about education “disability” is about your body, your brain, your senses being wired and tapped in a unique way.

Information obtained from Meriah Nichols Website

Difference Between Special Needs And Disabilities – An Overview

Special needs actually do mean special education needs as children with learning disabilities need additional support as compared to their peers. Examples of special education needs include –

  • Social, Behavioral and emotional difficulties
  • Multiple learning difficulties
  • Moderate learning problems
  • Speech, communication and language needs
  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disabilities
  • Multi-sensory impairment

Disabilities include all the physical and mental disabilities that affect their daily routine activities. As per statistics, 2.9 Million Children in India are disabled. Youngsters, particularly children have complex needs and therefore require assistance. The assistance includes support around emotional, intellectual or behavioral, health and intellectual development.

  • Physical disability
  • Communication disorder of severe nature
  • Developmental delay at pre-school
  • Long term learning difficulty
  • Sensory impairment like visual, deafness and blindness
  • Autism Spectrum disorder
  • Multiple complex and chronic conditions

Hence, when you use the term disabilities you are apparently talking about physical and mental inabilities and when you are talking about special needs, it’s actually about the needs of children around managing learning disabilities generally.

Information obtained from Vydehi School Website