The F Words of Disability

What if we stopped asking, “How do we fix this child?” and started asking, “How do we support them to live a full life?”

For many years, disability was viewed primarily through a deficit lens. 

What’s delayed? What’s wrong? What skills need to be fixed?

The F-Words (developed by the team at CanChild) shift the conversation toward what truly matters.

Function: How can this child participate meaningfully in everyday life?

Family: What matters most to this family, and how can we support them?

Fitness: How do we help children build the physical and emotional capacity to engage in life?

Fun: What brings this child joy? Because fun isn’t a reward; it’s an essential part of healthy development.

Friends: Does this child have opportunities to build genuine relationships and experience belonging?

Future: How do the choices we make today help create a meaningful, hopeful future?

Our goal isn’t simply to improve skills. It’s to help children participate, connect, belong, and thrive.

As someone raising a daughter with a rare genetic condition, the milestones we celebrate aren’t always the ones that show up on standardized assessments. They’re the moments when she laughs with friends, communicates her thoughts, tries something new, joins a family activity, or experiences the joy of simply being included.

Sometimes, changing the questions we ask changes everything.

Which of the six F-Words resonates most with you?