Should T make allowances for special needs?

I don't know what I hope to achieve by posting this...

And with that introduction, let's throw this question open to the floor.

I don't understand the question. What special needs are you talking about?

I suppose it depends on what kind of special needs you are asking for. I don't think there is a black or white, yes or no answer to your question.

Well the exception proves the rule, doesnt it? Altho I would say the proof proves the rule - I dont know who came up with that dumb saying. But I went no-where for many many years with ts who stuck by the rules and waited for me to figure it out and come to them. Im so glad I found one who was willing to take a chance and come to me. Or at least make it a little easier for me.

I am uneasy with the notion that a therapist could make an allowance for anything. I believe they need to be flexible, but the concept of making allowances gives them more power than I believe they have.

You need to be more specific. It depends on what the special needs are and what the allowances or accommodations are. For instance, I have students that are registered with Disability Services and we usually work together to come up with accommodations that allow the student to participate in the course. However, there have been a few times when the students' abilities simply are not compatible with the course requirements, even with reasonable accommodations. In those instances, I have to help the student register for an alternate course. I would assume the same kind of thing might apply to therapy. For instance, a client on the Autism spectrum may need certain accommodations in order to participate in DBT or CBT, and the T can find a reasonable way to make that work. On the other hand, another client with more severe disabilities may not be able to participate in a CBT group, even with some accommodations, because it may be too disruptive to the rest of the group. I don't think this is a yes or no question.

I'm not sure I understand either but my gut says yes

Without more information, I am looking at this with a broad spectrum. Everybody has different needs, special to themselves, and I would suspect that T's would be wise to take that into account. Tailoring therapy to the individual is kind of what I expect, I really can't see how it would be done otherwise.

Well, it depends. If a T is not trained, is it really good for the client. Like for example, if a T gets a client with paranoid schizaphrenia and that T is not the best at handling schizaphrenia, than the T should refer the client.

Where I go for therapy, there is stairs and no elevator. When I called for the appotinment, they asked me if I was disabled and unable to climb stairs or if I had health problems that prevented me from climbing multiple flights of stairs. They could not accomodate me if I could not climb stairs.

They are limited by the old building....

StringCheese,
True, if a T is not trained, that would not be a good fit. If a T is trained, I think it is up to both the T and the client to work together. If both are amenable, then I think it has a good chance of working.

Please clarify the question.

No. If you cannot learn physics, you cannot become a rocket scientist.

Lolz! But this isnt rocket science! It's like the exact opposite of rocket science - it's relationships. Funny you should say this - I think I once said in session, this is so hard! rocket science I could do, but not this! but point taken - you do have to be "analyzable", be able to look at yourself?

I think depending on the special needs, then yes, T's should make allowances. Obviously, any physical special needs (disabilities, etc)., T should accommodate to the best of their ability, or ensure the client is referred to someone suitable if T cannot accommodate.

If we are talking about mental and psychological special needs, then that falls within the realm of T's expertise, experience, and judgment if they can sufficiently treat and help the person.

As for the comparison to rocket science, I get it completely. Rocket science is logical, rational, tangible. You can see it, it's 1+1=2, it can be learned from textbooks, lectures, etc.

Being a client in psychotherapy is definitely not something that can be learned from textbooks, or has any of the characteristics of learning rocket science. Being a client requires much more freedom, incorporating feelings, emotion, abstract thoughts. There's no specific way a textbook can tell a client "analyze yourself this way" because that would be different for every person.

Hankster, that's a great comparison, thanks for sharing it!

My interpretation: I would have thought that each and every client has their own 'special needs'... I don't know whether I would say it is up to the therapist to 'adapt', necessarily - maybe in the beginning, or depending on specific circumstance - but more to 'work with'. Ultimately, I thought the idea was for change to happen in the client, not the T

Thanks, refika, it made perfect sense to me!! You explained it perfectly! I never thought this thread was about physical disabilities. But it's not rocket science, and it's not about right and wrong, as I was raised. Cuz I always got it "wrong". But with t, I always just get it - no judgment.

My point with the total "no" and comparison to rocket science was based on the insufficient information in the question. One can imagine anything one wants for "allowances" and anything one wants for "special needs" so as a general question, it's useless. It only becomes interesting if one applies it personally.

I do not think my T should make any allowances for my special needs. However, I also do not think my needs are special and I cannot conceive how, in an ongoing conversation, one makes allowances for anything. Therapy, for me, is largely a learning situation. If I were a child in an actual school and it was found I was dyslexic, say, then allowance would not be made for me, instead I would be taught based on how I could best learn.

But the analogy breaks down for me with comparisons to others that has to come with identifying something as being a special need, as if my needs are not like other needs. In therapy, it's one-on-one so there is no other and I cannot be more special than myself. It is like asking the teacher of dyslexics if one dyslexic should be taught differently from another. All else being relatively equal (they are "only" dyslexic) then I don't see a problem.

Are you really asking if T's should be flexible, then yes, I think they should be flexible.

I'm also a little confused by the question, but I'll offer my take anyway. If by "special needs" you mean people who may need something more than other people, such as reassurance, or outside contact with a T, then I guess maybe the T should give a little. But when I've touched on this in my therapy, my T always ends up saying that I have to live in the real world. If I need more reassurance than most, he can give me some, but the real world doesn't give a rip that I am needy in that area. So I'm going to have to take some hard knocks and adapt. A little bit of coddling from T might help temporarily, but too much and I would become dependent and expect it from everyone else. That's not realistic, and it ain't gonna happen.

legally well treatment providers must make "allowances" or *** the american disabilities act states "accommodations" for the handicapped that may be physically or mentally challenged. but beyond that legally no treatment providers do not have to make allowances for their clients.

example a therapist must make sure where they see their clients its handicapped accessible (a ramp or elevator if the building where the therapy session is held has stairs.)

but a therapist does not have to go to the clients home if the client doesnt want to go out in public because they are in a wheelchair.

a therapists job is to help the client work through their problems not enable them to stay stuck in their problems, to be more independent, to be able to function on their own in the community.

Example sometimes when I go through my depression I dont want and have trouble getting to my therapists office, I just dont feel comfortable waiting in the waiting room. Id rather meet my therapist in my home or some quiet isolated pace. My therapist refuses to do this for me...why because that would be catering to and increase that depressive symptom of isolation. my therapists job isnt to isolate me more, its to help me to think differently about my problem and to help me to find ways to not isolate myself.

Otoh, t isn't the real world. You go there to build yourself up to be able to face the real world. I can beat up IRL for free. If I didnt need a crutch, I wouldn't go.

That's terrible. Not everyone in life is a jackass.

This should be embroidered on a pillow or stg! Uplifting yet... not too sentimental sugary sweet! I love it!

I can give you an example that probably has not anything to do with the OP, but I once went to the doctor. I had basically rehearsed what I was going to say because if I didn't I would have a problem as I could not described the problem well otherwise.

I came there and I was not allowed to tell the story the way I wanted it. I was interrupted and told to tell it from the other end so to speak. But I could not just change since I had decided how to say things and I tried to explain that I had to tell it my way or I'd lose track and I would end up silent.

Still the doctor insisted on interrupting so everything ended up chopped up and I don't think I was ever allowed to get to the point of it. It just cost me money and I got nothing in return.

And yea, I think my different type of though processes should have been seen they same way as any physical handicap. However, mental handicaps are often frowned upon.

I have always told doctors never to touch me without warning me. So far I have had ZERO doctors telling me they are going to touch me. They just think I'm a nothing so they touch me anyway. I nearly hit one once because of it.

What's terrible? If I happen to have a fear of loud noises, I can't expect everyone I ever come in contact with to be very careful and never make a loud noise around me. Loud noises will happen - and I have to learn to deal with that. But I would probably not become close friends with people who were prone to making loud noises ....