What "special needs" really means

"An actual conversation with my daughter yesterday: . .

"So Mom, you know I have Down syndrome, right?"

"Yes, Dear..." 

"So you know that means I have special needs?"

"Yes. But what does it mean to have special needs for you? Because.... I tend to think we all have special needs of one sort or another."

No hesitation.... she'd obviously been thinking this through: 

"My special needs are... No yelling. I don't ever like to yell. I like to be gentle."

"That is so true! What else?"

"I don't want to hurt people's feelings. That's part of being gentle."

"Sniff, sniff 😢... what else, Kelsey?"

"I like to go very slow. If you make me rush I don't like it." 

"Very true again! *sigh* "Anything else?"

"No, that's enough for now."

"Okay. I like to hear what you are thinking."

"I know, Mom, that's why I told you. But I don't like to talk all the time."

"True. Thank you for sharing."

"You're welcome."