Special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities such as medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or the International Classification of Diseases 9th edition both give guidelines for clinical diagnosis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' ( DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases Autism, Down syndrome, developmental delays, blindness, and cystic fibrosis are examples of special needs. Language development. The terminology Down syndrome, Down's syndrome, or trisomy 21 is a Chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. Blindness is the condition of lacking Visual perception due to Physiological or Neurological factors Cystic fibrosis (also known as CF, mucoviscoidosis, or mucoviscidosis) is a hereditary disease affecting the exocrine (mucus glands of the lungs

More narrowly, it is a legal term applying in foster care in the United States, derived from the language in the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. Foster care is a system by which a certified stand-in "parent(s" cares for minor Children or young peoples who have been removed from their birth parents The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA Public Law 105-89 was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on November 19, 1997 after having been approved Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar It is a diagnosis used to classify children as needing "more" services than those children without special needs who are in the foster care system. CHILD syndrome (or congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects) is a genetic disorder It is a diagnosis based on behavior, childhood and family history, and is usually made by a health care professional. Behavior or behaviour (see spelling differences) refers to the actions or Reactions of an object or Organism, usually Family history is the systematic narrative and research of past events relating to a specific Family, or specific families Health care is the prevention treatment and management of illness and the preservation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, Nursing

U. S. special needs adoption statistics

In the United States, more than 150,000 children with special needs are waiting for permanent homes. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Traditionally, children with special needs have been considered harder to place for adoption than other children, but experience has shown that many children with special needs can be placed successfully with families who want them. Adoption is the act of legally placing a child with a Parent or parents other than those to whom they were born The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (P. The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA Public Law 105-89 was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on November 19, 1997 after having been approved L. 105-89) has focused more attention on finding homes for children with special needs and making sure they receive the post-adoption services they need. The United States Congress enacted the law to ensure that children in foster care, who cannot be reunited with their birth parents, are freed for adoption and placed with permanent families as quickly as possible. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses

See, http://www.specialneedsneighborhood.com, a meeting place for parents/caregivers of kids with special needs who are seeking resources.

See also

• Developmentally disabled

References

External links

Child Health: Special needs at the Open Directory Project