Introduction: Adolescents with special health needs (CRIANES) need health care for their survival that goes beyond the care required by other adolescents. Objective: To present the construction of the emancipatory discourse of adolescents with special health needs regarding the possibilities of experiencing adolescence with care demands. Method: Study of a qualitative approach developed through the reading of medical records, interview guided by a semi-structured script, mediated by the construction of genograms and ecomaps of 35 adolescents. The speeches were recorded, transcribed and submitted to Pêcheux's speech analysis. Results: The speeches represent a set of attitudes capable of breaking with a pattern imposed by the family and health professionals, in which adolescents are seen by the demands of required care. Conclusions: Adolescents want to be seen for their possibilities and not just for the singularity of care they require for their survival, adolescents want to be recognized as subjects in the world.