title: "Special needs" is an ineffective euphemism.
abstract: Although euphemisms are intended to put a more positive spin on the words they replace, some euphemisms are ineffective. Our study examined the effectiveness of a popular euphemism for persons with disabilities,special needs. Most style guides prescribe against using the euphemismspecial needsand recommend instead using the non-euphemized termdisability; disability advocates argue adamantly against the euphemismspecial needs, which they find offensive. In contrast, many parents of children with disabilities prefer to usespecial needsrather thandisability. But no empirical study has examined whetherspecial needsis more or less positive than the term it replaces. Therefore, we gathered a sample of adult participants from the general population (N= 530) and created a set of vignettes that allowed us to measure how positively children, college students, and middle-age adults are viewed when they are described as havingspecial needs, havinga disability, having a certain disability (e.g.,is blind,has Down syndrome), or with no label at all. We predicted and observed that persons are viewed more negatively when described as havingspecial needsthan when described as havinga disabilityor having a certain disability, indicating thatspecial needsis an ineffective euphemism. Even for members of the general population who have a personal connection to disability (e.g., as parents of children with disabilities), the euphemismspecial needsis no more effective than the non-euphemized termdisability. We also collected free associations to the termsspecial needsanddisabilityand found thatspecial needsis associated with more negativity;special needsconjures up more associations with developmental disabilities (such as intellectual disability) whereasdisabilityis associated with a more inclusive set of disabilities; andspecial needsevokes more unanswered questions. These findings recommend against using the euphemismspecial needs.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA.
authors.forename: Morton Ann
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0397-3329
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gernsbacher
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS USA.
authors.forename: Adam R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Raimond
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA.
authors.forename: M Theresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Balinghasay
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA.
authors.forename: Jilana S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Boston