Why language matters: putting the child first – why we say children who have disabilities rather than disabled children

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By Ali Brown and Helen Chignell

"Having health conditions has made me struggle with my identity – you’ve got this, you are that, maybe you have this as well. I need understanding and for people to know this is what it looks like to be me."

Childline counselling session with a young person aged 14

Language can shape the way we see children, and how they see themselves. It’s important that we use language that recognises, respects and empowers children and their identities. Our choice of words can be a powerful tool in challenging the discrimination and disadvantages vulnerable groups of children face.

Research shows that children and young people who have a disability are at an increased risk of being abused compared with their peers.^1,1 They are less likely to receive the protection and support they need when they have been abused.

Professionals can have difficulty identifying safeguarding concerns when working with children who have disabilities.¹ Case reviews sometimes link these issues to the ways professionals perceive, and talk about, the children involved.

Shifting language to keep children safe

Children who have disabilities have the same right to be safe from abuse and to be protected from harm as any other child.

Using child-first or child-led language reminds us of the importance of seeing children who have disabilities as children first, instead of focussing on their disabilities.

Putting the child first can prompt important safeguarding questions like:

• have I spoken directly to the child about their experiences and views?
• what is the child’s day-to-day life like?
• are there any signs or potential indicators of abuse or neglect?

Respecting the child’s voice and sense of identity

Case reviews often identify issues with professionals talking about, rather than to, children who have disabilities. Sometimes professionals assume that a child’s disability prevents them from expressing their views.

All children can communicate preferences if they are asked in the right way. Children might be able to express themselves through spoken language; or they may use another form of communication such as body language, facial expressions, sign language, or visual communication aids. We need to recognise the importance of listening to the child’s voice and communicate with them in the ways which work best for them.

A key part of this is making sure children feel like their own sense of identity is respected and recognised. We should always ask children how they want to talk about their additional needs and be led by their choices.

Using language which reinforces children’s sense of self-identity can make children feel heard, seen and empowered. If children feel listened to and understood, then hopefully they’ll know that they’re going to be heard throughout all aspects of their life. This can help give children the confidence to assert their needs and wishes – a vital part of personal safety.

Some children might prefer to use identity-first language, for example describing themselves as autistic or part of the d/Deaf community. Others might describe themselves as disabled, sometimes linked to the idea that they are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference.²

However, when talking broadly about safeguarding children who have disabilities, the NSPCC chooses to take a child-first approach to help keep the focus on the child, rather than their disability.

Seeing the child not the disability

Language which puts the disability, rather than the child, first can reinforce issues caused by professionals focusing on the child’s disability and losing sight of their other needs.

Case reviews have identified a number of concerns linked to a sole focus on disability:

• Potential indicators of abuse are sometimes misinterpreted as signs of a child’s disability. Injuries, such as bruising, are sometimes assumed to be self-inflicted, caused by disability equipment or problems with mobility.
• Children’s support needs are only considered in terms of their disability. Assessments of needs sometimes focus on needs relating to disability rather than looking at a child’s wellbeing more holistically.
• Children who have disabilities aren’t provided with the same level of information about personal safety as their peers. Professionals sometimes think they don’t need, or don’t think it’s appropriate, to teach children who have disabilities about sex, relationships or personal safety.

> Read more learning from case reviews for improved practice when working with children who have disabilities