What term describes treating disabled people as if they were children?

What term describes treating disabled people as if they were children?

• A. Providing parental care
• B. Encouraging independence
• C. Infantilization/ seen like children
• D. Prohibiting education

Answer: (C)

Infantilization is treating adults with disabilities as if they were children. This attitude assumes they lack decision-making capacity, speaks for them rather than with them, and limits their autonomy in everyday life, healthcare, and education. It denies them equal participation and dignity by applying a childlike lens to their needs and rights. You might see it when someone makes decisions for an adult with a disability without their input, uses condescending language, or restricts opportunities because of a presumed incompetence. This term best captures the described discrimination. The other options describe different concepts: providing parental care implies a caregiver role but isn’t the established term for this attitude; encouraging independence is the opposite; prohibiting education is about access to rights, not the patronizing view itself.

Infantilization is treating adults with disabilities as if they were children. This attitude assumes they lack decision-making capacity, speaks for them rather than with them, and limits their autonomy in everyday life, healthcare, and education. It denies them equal participation and dignity by applying a childlike lens to their needs and rights. You might see it when someone makes decisions for an adult with a disability without their input, uses condescending language, or restricts opportunities because of a presumed incompetence. This term best captures the described discrimination. The other options describe different concepts: providing parental care implies a caregiver role but isn’t the established term for this attitude; encouraging independence is the opposite; prohibiting education is about access to rights, not the patronizing view itself.