Labeling or categorizing of students with disabilities presents important philosophical issues to special educators and others today. (a) Identify 3 reasons why categorizing may be needed or useful, and three reasons categorization should be eliminated; (b) Clearly and concisely explain your philosophical position on the issue of labeling/categorizing learners with disabilities, supporting the

Question

elements of your opinion.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer:
(a) Reasons for supporting labeling/categorizing may include:
• Labeling is currently required to qualify a child for services
• Reports of the numbers of children served by category allow districts to access federal and state funding
• A classification may provide an explanation for the difficulties an individual has been experiencing
• Some classifications have relevance for educational or medical relevance treatment
• Categories are needed for educational research since the classifications are used to define groups for study

Reasons for not continuing to label/categorize learners include:
• Categories affect teacher and parental expectations of the student, usually in a negative way
• Classifications often convey stigma
• The individual can "become" the classification, either living up or down to the stereotypes carried by that designation
• Classifications relating to etiology or medical treatment are frequently of little value for school program planning decisions
• Psychometric thresholds on tests used to make classification decisions falsely imply sharp demarcations among disabilities and between disability and ability
• Disability classifications do not convey the kind of specific information needed for designing programmatic interventions
• Funding incentives based on differential funding for certain disabilities or levels of severity may lead to inappropriate or erroneous classification
• Categories tend to reinforce the notion that the reasons for school failure lie primarily within the student
• Categories tend to serve as explanations for problem behaviors rather than as descriptors of that behavior

(b) Answers will vary, but should include a clear thesis statement with at least one supporting argument. Exceptional answers will include additional supporting arguments and will refute at least one counter argument.