I have witnessed many people with special needs in the child welfare system both at Casa de los Niños and at my home with foster people for whom my parents have provided care. Disabilities are represented disproportionately in the child welfare system because children with disabilities are 3.44 times more likely to be abused than children without disabilities. Within that group, children with different types of disabilities have different levels of exposure to abuse and neglect. Furthermore, abuse can often be the cause of a disability. From my experiences at Casa de los Niños, I have seen that children with disabilities must be treated differently than children without disabilities to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. Although Primary Care Workers (PCWs) try to maintain a fair and equal environment for every child, they often must extend some flexibility to children with disabilities. For example, if a child with autism starts to throw a fit because they want a toy that no one else is allowed to have, they would most likely get their way and be given the toy. Otherwise, they might continue to throw a fit until they are a danger to themselves and other children. Despite this unequal treatment, all of the children at Casa de los Niños get along very well and they all seem accepting, to the greatest extent that a two year old can be accepting, of each other. Children with disabilities are given a tremendous amount of care at Casa de los Niños, not just from PCWs and nurses who are present 24/7, but also from specialists and external medical professionals. Everyone is aware of every child’s individual needs and behaviors.   

Sources:

http://www.thearc.org/what-we-do/resources/fact-sheets/abuse