Exceptional Children

It is very important for educators to make sure to look at each child because everyone has unique characteristics. When someone has a characteristic that will make them stand out either physically or cognitively, they are labeled as an exceptional child. Often adults will group every child that experience difficulty in physical activity or a learning ability as exceptional, but children who are gifted also fall under the umbrella of exceptional children. With such a broad range of skills identified under exceptional children, we need to break down certain characteristics into smaller groupings so adults will have a better understanding of a child’s abilities and limitations. The words impairment, disability, handicap and at risk are often used with the same definition, but this is incorrect. As educators, we must know the proper definition of each term, to better provide the appropriate environment for our students.