A school psychologist and parent looks at issues related to testing for "giftedness," including labeling and placement (or non-placement) in special programs. Factors to consider in deciding whether to have a child tested are considered, with examples given of students whose individual situations and personalities either do not qualify them for…

Proposals for restructuring and integration of special and general education, known as the regular education initiative (REI), represent a revolution in the basic concepts related to the education of handicapped students that have provided the foundation of special education for over a century. Education policy, as presented by Presidents Reagan…

This handbook (written in English and French) provides guidelines for integrating children with special needs into regular day care programs and discusses the need for a network of social services for these children and their families. The guide explains (1) the rationale for mainstreaming and the advantages and disadvantages of categorizing…

Black students are overrepresented in classes for the mentally retarded and underrepresented in classes for the physically handicapped and gifted. Assessment of Black students should involve parents and teachers, should be multifactored and early, should employ culturally aware examiners who assess students' strengths and weaknesses, and should be…

The other articles in the September 1981 issue of "School Psychology Review" are discussed and criticized. Distinction between the general strategy of neuropsychology and other conceptualizations used by school psychologists is made. A discussion on whether the neuropsychological conceptualization makes a unique contribution to school…

The functions that IQ and aptitude tests now serve in schools and the trends that may modify the present pattern of test use are presented. Current research on intelligence and aptitude and the kind of intelligence tests that might prove more useful in instructional planning are also discussed. (Author/RD)

The problems caused by a lack of standardized definition of behavior disorders in children are discussed, including differences in identification procedures and widely varying prevalence figures. The significance of environmental intolerance and the instability of many behavior problems over time are described. (Author/MH)

Papers by Lloyd Dunn and Evelyn Deno are analyzed for their ideas about merging special and general education, labeling, and blaming students' failure to learn solely on teachers. Development of a culture of disability that uses the distinctive characteristics of persons with disabilities to develop a positive identity through congregation,…

This article discusses reasons for rejection of the learning disability category in New Zealand and describes the general education and special education systems in New Zealand. It is suggested that the needs of such students may potentially be met by new policies for "high incidence" special needs. Teacher training needs are also…

This article explores the effects of labeling children as gifted, including possible sex differences in labeling effects, effects on self-concept and self-esteem, and effects on family and peer relationships. The need for empirical data regarding the process of labeling; the labeling event; and the changed or modified expectations of parents,…

This article comments on recommended changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included in "Perspectives on the Future of the IDEA" (Hardman and others). It is argued that we have ignored and trivialized important legal requirements already in IDEA, and that the current IDEA has served us well. (CR)

The first part of this article critiques categorical approaches to special education, overrepresentation of minority children in special education, inclusion and exclusion, and white privilege. The second part of the article describes the potential of multicultural education, transformation, and participatory leadership approaches to address the…

This paper reviews the literature on positive and negative aspects of diagnostic classification of children, or labeling. It reviews the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which mandated that special education must be available to all children with disabilities. Definitional issues in diagnostic labeling of students with learning…

The role of the faculty in helping the learning disabled student succeed on campus is discussed. It is suggested that faculty members who reject the learning disabled are at one end of the spectrum, while the faculty members who treat the disability as incidental while providing assistance are at the other end. The rejecting faculty member may…

The transcript of a four-part radio program on learning disabilities (LD) focuses on issues involving the definition, identification, and education of LD children. Definitional concerns are voiced by J. Gallagher, S. Kirk and S. Richardson. Controversy over prevalence estimates is discussed. Teachers of LD children comment on effective…