Responds to a case study in this issue that discussed the differing academic achievement of two at-risk college students. Suggests the need to look beyond the disability labels applied to students. Suggests considering cognitive motivational factors such as beliefs, goals, and expectations, as well as the results of previous institutional…

Past research has established clear behavioral differences between Type A and Type B individuals. The manner in which these behavioral differences are represented in the self-definitions of Type As and Bs was examined in a group of 42 college students. The existence of Type A and B self-schemata was investigated using two tasks designed to measure…

This article presents knowledge about disability issues that seven undergraduate students constructed through participation in a semester-long service learning class. In-depth interviews and examination of reflective journals revealed that students used their experiences to question the nature of relationships with people with disabilities, the…

The effects of labels, "mentally retarded" and "institutionalized" on the evaluations and causal attributions of nonretarded persons, and on the social distance preferences of EMR persons, were assessed. In addition, each group was asked to predict the likelihood of a labeled (mentally retarded) or a nonlabeled target person achieving success at a…

The diagnostic labeling of exceptional children was investigated in two experiments. In the first experiment videotapes of simulated parent/diagnostician label and no-label sessions were viewed by different groups of college students who then reported their perceptions of the child on a questionnaire. Results indicated that label subjects felt…

Investigates the effects of label, child's gender and race, child's educational placement, and availability of definitional information on prognostic judgments for children with behavior problems. Undergraduate students (N=363) enrolled in teacher education read a vignette and completed a prognostic outlook questionnaire. Results indicate a…

Investigated the relationships between perceived ethnic injustices and processes of psychological disengagement among White, African American, and Hispanic American college students, examining perceived ethnic injustice and academic performance as predictors of devaluing and discounting. Student surveys indicated that broader beliefs about social…

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…

This study examined the impact of facial plastic surgery, labeling (mentally retarded, normal, Down's syndrome), and level of knowledge of Down's syndrome on 127 student teachers' evaluations of slides of persons with such characteristics. Although there was no overall significant main effect for the pre-post operation condition, there was a…

This qualitative study examined factors that have contributed to the educational success of nine college students with learning disabilities and explored how these students manage their disabilities in the educational arena. Data came from student academic records, interviews, and classroom observations over a 6-month period. Factors studied…

This study investigates definitions and usage of the term "mental retardation" worldwide, via a review of the literature and a survey of 20 countries. Nineteen of the 20 responding countries reported using some sort of intelligence quotient (IQ) criterion to determine mental retardation, though the criterion varies. In some countries, there are…

This guide provides information about the nature of learning disabilities in higher education and about ways of assisting students with learning disabilities at Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) to fulfill their potential. The booklet uses the metaphor of a "zig zag lightning in the brain" to describe the erratic thinking style…