Hi, my name’s Sara. I’m in the special education program at UIC. I’m trying to learn more about the issue of labeling special education students, and wondering if I could get a few opinions from parents (because I know your views are more pertinent than those in a textbook) If anyone would like to write a little about their opinions on labeling (how its affected their child, whether or not you think its a good thing) or inclusion, please drop me a message!! Thank you so much!!
—Sara
[email protected]
Re: help with the issue of labeling
The prior post was an excellent response. I too,believe there are a wide array of labeling,that is not included in the laws that protect childrens rights.
Actually,I take that back,they are included in the antidiscrimination law,but as what is illegal to place upon the head of a formally diagnosed disabled child. We do it though. Everday the system does it.
I have felt the issue of “labeling” has long been used by the school system to scare a parent out of wanting accomodations for their child.In the end,most parents realize this,unfortunately sometimes too late.
Labeling is only necessary for the school system. In order to get a kid help who is needing help reading,we must qualify him or her for special education. Sometimes that kid needing help,still needs help,but doesn’t qualify for their label. The kid still needs help,everyone knows the kids has trouble reading,but not only did this child fail at learning to read,but somehow failed to obtain the “label” he or she desperately needs.
Now take this same kid to a tutor,a private school,home,and he doesn’t need a label. He has trouble reading,help him learn to read. The only thing we really need to know is how he learns.
I am a parent of two boys. Their labels include,
ADHD/written language disability/dysgraphia/math disorder/CAPD/SID/Gifted
can you figure out how my boys learn?
These labels were hard earned labels. Hell I had to fight tooth and nail for these labels to exist. Did it help me to know how they learned?
It did help me to get them an IEP,OT,assitive technology,special educational services.
Did it help the teacher know how they learn?
The truth is,these labels only illicate money,needed funding to get my kids help learning.
It did nothing for the people around them that are educating them.
Labels are important,but for only one reason,
1. Providing a free and appropriate public education.
Re: help with the issue of labeling
Two excellent responses above.
I think the stigma of labels has decreased in our now tolerant pc society, but it’s still there.
I don’t care if my daughter has a label as long as it is used to get her the help she needs. The school at one point, said that they could give her a label, but that label wouldn’t qualify her for services - my reaction was why bother then? As socks said - my dd’s label was hard earned by me too. She’s ADHD classified as OHI and moderately dyslexic (dyslexic label NOT used by school).
Now, on the other hand, if you give my daughter a teacher who thinks her label is limiting, motivates kids through negatives not positives and does anything to damage the self esteem we’ve worked so hard to rebuild, watch out! DD’s school teaches tolerance and respect for others as part of their code of conduct, test scores are private issues not to be shared beyond student, teacher and parent. So far, in 3rd grade, she hasn’t been stigmatized by classmates and I can only credit the teachers and her school for that.
Re: help with the issue of labeling
My thoughts on labeling…
- A necessary evil. It gets you in the Special Ed door.
- The label is not the important part of the psych/ed evaluation, the key is the identification of specific weaknesses that need to be remediated. Within the label, each child’s mosaic of strengths and weaknesses is unique so remediation plans need to customized for each student.
- The label (theoretically) helps your child get accomodations that make their life a little easier at school and at homework time.
- The label (theoretically) helps a general Ed teacher realize that this child has unique learning requirements and should make them more sensitive to a child’s special issues.
In practice, however, schools often fail to adequately deliver the remediation, the accomodations, and the sensitivity.
Nobody likes labels. But everybody does it. People may not want to “label” their child as ADD, but unfortunately, he or she may already be labelled. He may be labelled as “lazy,” or “a terror,” or “rebellious,” or a “spoiled brat,” or “stupid.” A child’s fellow students do this, and teachers do as well. The problem is that many have a bad opinion of ADD because they also unconsciously attach the “lazy” or “brat” label as well. So some parents may think “no, don’t label my child as ADD because everybody will think of him as a rotten undisciplined kid!”
I think what is needed is for parents of ADD kids as well as educators to truly understand what ADD is. And what it is not. It is not an excuse for bad behavior. A diagnosis should be (and is, for most parents) a beginning in understanding how to help the child in school and at home.
Unfortunately, ADD has been politicized. This leads to more broad brush strokes and labelling. And it does not help kids, not kids with ADD, and not kids without ADD.
We need to go beyond the labels to a greater understanding of ADD as well as learning disabilities.