Don’t define the child by his or her impairment. He is not spastic, he has spastic Cerebral Palsy. She is not a disabled child, she is a child with a disability.
Don’t identify the child by the impairment or disability, unless it is relevant. Example: “The individual using the wheelchair…” is only deemed appropriate when the use of the wheelchair is relevant to the conversation.
Don’t use slang to label a person. He is not a “cripple,” “retarded,” “disabled,” “impaired,” “spastic,” or “special ed.” He is simply a child with special needs.
Keep abreast of and use updated terminology. Example: She is not “wheelchair-bound,” “physically-handicapped,” “differently-abled,” or “physically challenged.” Instead, “She uses a wheelchair,” “she has a disability,” and “she has a physical impairment.”

Eliminate negative tone as it is hurtful. For example, he is not “special ed,” he participates in the special education program.
Eliminate disrespectful slang and words that imply victimization. For example, he is not a victim, unfortunate, crippled, sufferer, stricken, or invalid. He simply has impairment.
Become familiar with the level of impairment. Example:
A person with total hearing loss is considered a person who is without hearing.
A person with partial hearing loss is referred to as a person with hearing impairment.
A person with total sight loss is not referred to as “a blind person,” but as “a person who is blind.”
A person with a varying degree of sight — a person who can see but is not considered legally blind, for example — is a person with vision impairment.
A person who displays trouble speaking, uses voice prosthesis, or appears to stutter is “a person with speech impairment.”