Background: Labeling theory underscores the sequential process that unfolds within an individual, influenced by those in his or her immediate surroundings. Nevertheless, research into the developmental characteristics of labeling theory remains limited. Furthermore, prior studies investigating the impact of informal labeling have predominantly…

In this essay, the authors explore the dilemmas facing researchers, educators, and policymakers in how to refer to multilingual students who are deemed in need of language support in school. There is a growing concern with the label "English learner," the term currently used in U.S. federal legislation, as focusing exclusively on…

The terms Language Disorder, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Language-based learning disabilities, Specific Learning Disorder, and Specific Learning Disability are commonly used to describe children struggling to learn at school. In this position paper, the definitions and distinctions between these terms are discussed, and key overlaps and…

The gap between predicted and actual outcomes--following a university's removal of their controversial Native American nickname--may be rather wide. This study investigates what alumni threaten or promise to do upon a potential school nickname change, and what actual actions result once change does occur. The University of North Dakota's (UND)…

The Equity Audit was designed to measure diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within workplaces. The tool has three versions and is currently undergoing the standard setting process to gather validity evidence for its use within schools and organizations. This study reports on the recommendations from two panels of experts (one for the school…

The term Latinx has received increasing levels of pushback from different entities outside and within higher education. Despite the term's wide popularity in academic spaces, higher education practitioners often utilize it without understanding whom it simultaneously includes and excludes, and whom the term refers to. Such practice perpetuates the…

Adults are increasingly self-identifying as autistic, and reporting problems being referred for an autism diagnostic assessment. This scoping review aims to ascertain: (1) what research has been conducted on the self-identification process of autism in adults, who do and do not have a formal diagnosis of autism, and (2) which aspects of the…

Book banning and censorship in the U.S. prompts necessary conversations on how critical literacy, dialogue, and inquiry are used in various school and library settings. We share guiding questions alongside three examples of textual analyses centering on gender fluidity with three young adult novels. We believe that English language arts teachers…

Background: In 2016-17 an important consensus was established regarding the use of the diagnostic label 'developmental language disorder' (DLD) to describe children with a persistent language problem having a functional impact on communication or learning and in the absence of any other biomedical condition. Despite this consensus, past research…

Early childhood schoolbooks designed to teach children to read, have been shown not only to shape gendered identities in a limiting, binary format, but to lend the written word the appearance of unquestionable, and restrictive truth about the way the world is. Texts written for adults, too, may similarly limit what can be known, reining in the…

China's grand strategies (i.e., the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong--Hong Kong--Macao Greater Bay Area) have expedited the popularity of full-time degree-bearing study in mainland China. Associated with the exponential growth of inward student populations are proliferating concerns about the capacity of non-majority/non-local students…

Giftedness is typically thought of as an individual characteristic. But the development and labeling of an individual as "gifted" is always a collective process and takes place embedded within local, sociocultural, and temporal contexts. The view of giftedness as individual is deceptive and results in faulty practice, such as the…

Purpose: This study rigorously explores the intersectional challenges faced by black fat males, emphasizing the amalgamation of anti-fat bias, gender and sexuality and racial discrimination within educational contexts. The purpose of this study is to dissect the complex dynamics of this intersection, shedding light on the nuanced experiences of…

General labels tend to obscure objective realities upon which disability rights are based and can deny individuals with disabilities their educational and civil rights. Undoubtedly, stigma can come from labels unnecessarily categorizing people into separate groups. However, stigma does not reside primarily in disability categories/terms but in…

Purpose: Self-stigma occurs when a person internalizes and applies stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination to themselves. For adults who stutter, self-stigma is linked to negative outcomes and reduced quality of life. The development of self-stigma in people who stutter is not well understood. The aim of this study is to evaluate stuttering…