The Special Needs field is used to track provider experience and training in caring for children with special needs. "Special Needs" is loosely defined to include needs that go beyond a typical child's needs for that child's age.  The philosophy behind the field is that information about the accommodations providers can offer is what is needed most by parents. This is in contrast to collecting information about diagnosis.

At best, this information is simply an indicator of a provider's training or experience in these areas. This list was intentionally kept short. It is not possible to gather the specific level of information that a parent would want, so parents should always be made aware that it is their responsibility to determine which program is the best fir for their child. On the provider's side, it is each provider's responsibility under the ADA to consider the ability to reasonably accommodate a specific child's needs in their program.

Check each category that applies to you. Underneath each category are some examples of the types of accommodations that fit into that category.