Guest blogger Becky Hallberg says kids with special needs aren’t the only people who have special needs. Parents of kids with special needs have some specific N.E.E.D.S., too. In this post, she explains what those N.E.E.D.S. are.

I Have Special Needs Too!

As the parent to a special needs child, I am always considering my child’s needs in every situation. I need to know if he’ll be safe in a given situation, or if he will need extra help or accommodations. As I walk this journey, though, I’m noticing something different—I have special needs, too.

The term “special needs” doesn’t have to be used to describe just one type of people. Rather, I believe we all have special needs and they vary from person to person. Sometimes our special needs are, indeed, related to areas where our kids need extra help and support. Other times, though, I think we need to use the term “special needs” a little more often to celebrate our uniqueness.

As we started this journey with our son, I was able to note some special needs in my own life. These were areas where I needed extra help and support. They were:

N—a Name for what my guy was struggling with.  When we started this journey, I knew that there may or may not be a name for what my child struggled with. We continued to pursue every avenue available to us to make sure we were meeting all the different aspects of his needs. It turns out that what he struggles with does have a name, and that makes it easier to work with him, as we know what direction to take.

E—Empathy helped so much, to be able to find those walking a similar path, to pray together, to share successes, to protect one another when we were in the trenches. These people understood the “how’s” and “whys” of my daily life and could truly “get us” as a family and could understand me as a mom.

E—Encouragement sometimes came in the form of growth we saw in our son. Other times, encouragement came from the simple smile of another mom who seemed to know, innately, what I was struggling with as my child crumpled under the weight of another meltdown.

D—Daily Strength and other days Down Time. Daily strength took on a whole new meeting as I struggled through parenting a child with special needs. Down time became so important, as I learned the necessity of taking care of myself as well.

S—Savior. We all need a Savior, don’t we? We need someone bigger, stronger, more powerful, to take our burdens to. We need someone who can hold the pieces of our world when it seems like all is falling apart.

These were my “special needs” as I started on the journey of parenting my child with special needs.  When I look at my needs, in light of my child’s needs, there aren’t very many differences.

• My son thrives when he can name things—his emotions and feelings, his plan for the day, his needs and wants.
• He has a need for empathy—for those who are in his life to really know and understand how *he* functions in life.
• He needs encouragement—and really, who doesn’t?  He responds best to kind words, thoughtful deeds, and a reminder that he is loved!
• He seems to have an extra dose of daily strength—I’d love to bottle some of his energy! But he definitely benefits from down time, from time to rest, to be able to do his own thing, to not have to live inside anyone’s therapy rules or school constraints.
• And, he needs a Savior—This is the one I’m most excited about, out of this list of NEEDS. He seems to have a deep love for Jesus and he is beginning to share this with others, particularly his therapists.  How amazing is that?!  I hope to instill techniques into his life that will help him succeed in life, and somehow, by God’s grace, we have managed to instill a deep love for God.  He’s taking that love and sharing his Savior with those in his circle of influence. Amazing!

Special needs. We all have them, and when we’re honest about what they are, it doesn’t seem that they apply just to a particular group of people. Special needs aren’t based on ability, IQ, or any other measure the world uses. Special needs are based on the fact that, at the end of the day, we’re all human, and we were made to need a Savior. That is the most innate special need that we all have.

What are your needs? How do your needs compare to your child’s needs? Sometimes it helps to take our eyes off of ability, test scores, necessary accommodations, and just remember that our one, true, special need is Jesus! Dear friend, do you know Him?

What Special Needs Do You Have Today?

What special needs are you struggling to meet today? Leave a comment so we can pray for you.

Photo Credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net

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