Editor's Note: Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman is the founder and executive director of the School for Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove.

Sometimes people hear the phrase disabled child and they think about the child in a wheelchair. Now with all of the attention being paid to autism spectrum disorders, the stereotype is the child with autism. 

However, there is as much diversity within the disability population as there is within the typical community of child learners. 

Children with disabilities are different from typical children, but they are also different from one another. Even children with autism have a tremendous range of language, social and behavioral differences. People pride themselves on their individuality. Typical adolescents and young adults struggle to find themselves. Children with disabilities also struggle to find their place in society.

Although you may have a stereotype for children who have mental retardation or emotional disturbance or autism, there is very little reality to these categories and labels.

If you watch children with disabilities closely, you will observe not only their differences but all of the things that they can do. In fact, children with disabilities can do quite a lot. They may do different things than typical learners, but they are not doing nothing. Children with disabilities interact with their environment in different ways but they do interact.

Although society has a very narrow perspective on how social behaviors are defined, (i.e., appropriate versus inappropriate), children with disabilities can act very appropriately while typical children are acting very inappropriately. It is unfortunate that children with disabilities are not given enough credit for all the things that they can do.

Seriously, take the time to observe a child with special needs. Inside of that child is a person with an unique personality. There is no reason why children should all be the same or act the same or think in the same way. Our society works very hard to eliminate stereotypes about religious, racial and ethnic groups. Let's try and work on understanding the abilities of children with disabilities. They have special needs but they are also special people.