Considers the issue of professional titles as it applies to women, composition studies, and how it applies to the author personally and professionally. Discusses many different approaches to answering the question "What should we call you?" Concludes that in an always evolving field there is no "right" title. (SC)

Discusses the label of "whole language teacher" and expresses that the author's concern about being named one is based on his sense that names matter; he worries about who is doing the naming and for what purpose. Concludes that whole language is needed as a way of creating community to support all those language teachers who "teach against the…

The view that regular education should be returned the responsibility for many services currently provided by special education is argued by M. Stephen Lilly, as part of the 1982 Statespersons' Roundtable of the Council for Exceptional Children. In addition, criticism of this view is expressed by John W. Kidd, along with comments from the 13…

The writings of six mentally retarded people in South Africa are used to illustrate issues relating to the social construction of mental retardation. It is argued that labeling people as mentally retarded may not be to their benefit and that many so labeled individuals are aware of their needs and able to express them. (Author/DB)

The article responds to previous articles about the regular education initiative and concludes that there is little evidence to justify present practices of student categorization of the mildly handicapped in special education and that the need for major reform is great. (Author/DB)

Concerns raised by the regular education initiative of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services include: the possible elimination of services to learning disabled students, the greater potential for school failure and its relatively greater damage than the "learning disability" label, and the inappropriateness of the…

The author reviews the history of the category of educable mental retardation (EMR), asserts that students with this label are more like children with academic or behavioral difficulties than they are like their more retarded peers, and suggests an approach focusing on returning EMR students to the regular school curriculum. (CL)

Teachers of culturally different students must be aware of the stereotypes they hold, how these stereotypes have evolved, and the effect of these stereotypes on classroom interactions. They must learn to deal with students as unique individuals with diverse interests and needs. To develop such insight, teachers need in-depth knowledge of…

Endeavors to broaden sociology instructors' knowledge of the labeling or societal reaction perspective. Outlines the general nature and scope of labeling, its development, and its relative contributions to explanations of deviant behavior. Records and refutes criticisms of labeling. Predicts significant future modifications resulting from a…

The author cautions against the widespread overuse of tests which could lead to typecasting and limiting students rather than teaching them. He lists both effective and ineffective uses of tests. (KC)

The author argues that many children labeled as learning disabled are merely exhibiting the range of individual differences statistically expected for various school related abilities. She encourages the individualization of instruction in the regular class to allow individual rates of progress and to avoid the learning disability label. (DB)

Categorizes the typical, expected, or stereotypical attributes of "slow learner,""average," and "gifted" journalism faculty advisers. (RL)

Discusses labels such as "dyslexic,""disadvantaged," and "emotionally disturbed" that adversely affect teachers' attitudes toward students; urges teachers to take care that the shape of the world and the shape of the children who inhabit it are not distorted by labeling and restricted definitions. (GT)

Modifications to the original three-ring conception of giftedness include shifting emphasis from "being gifted" to the development of gifted behaviors, labeling services rather than students, and changes in state guidelines. The author presents a six-step identification system designed to translate the three-ring conception into a practical set of…

Responds to previous article (Gresham and Gansle, this issue) which reviewed relevance of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R), and concluded that DSM-III-R is largely irrelevant for school psychology practice. Notes that Gresham and Gansle's proposal is not more powerful and cannot replace…