A clarification of the identification process for emotionally disturbed children is presented. Traditional definitions of emotional disturbance (ED) are explored and four behavioral clusters within traditional definitions are presented. The four are withdrawal from social interaction (autism), unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships,…

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)

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…

The National Preschool Coordination Project's (NPCP) Interstate Coordination Committee identified problems in finding and providing special education services for preschool migrant children. They propose training for parents and migrant staff and coordination among agencies to improve services. The NPCP Subcommittee on Special Education identified…

The limitations and advantages of any given measure of performance used to classify students as good or poor readers have not been investigated thoroughly. A study was conducted to determine what happens on several dependent measures of comprehension when the same students are separated into good and poor readers based on different criteria.…

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…

The state of the art in early identification of children with learning problems is reviewed, and generalizations about the value of early screening are offered. (CL)

This commentary discusses whether the American Association on Mental Retardation should change its name. It argues that changing the name would not change the stigma, and would harm advocacy efforts by allowing legislators to use a terminology change to narrow eligibility for supports. (Contains one reference.) (CR)

Labeling bias is the distortion of diagnostic judgment as a function of prior diagnostic information. University students (N=102) were assigned to 16 treatment groups, with variables of: prior diagnosis attributed to a videotaped target person ("psychotic" versus none), setting in which the observed sample of his behavior was said to…

The paper reviews research on the early identification of delinquent-prone children and considers the role of prediction in developing effective delinqency prevention programs. Among issues addressed are definitions of delinquency, theories on causation, and the role of prediction in criminology. Pros and cons of prediction are examined. Among…

Describes a classroom icebreaker that examines the assumptions inherent in racial and ethnic labels. The exercise involves students using connected Post-it notes on which to write their names, the racial label people give them, and the ethnic/racial label they give themselves. Later discussions address the use of labeling. (MJP)

Using information collected in a survey of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the study analyzed state definitions of the "behavior disordered/emotionally disturbed" (BD/ED) category of handicapped children, program entrance and exit criteria, and procedures for referral, evaluation, and program placement. A general lack of…

Presented are reprints of 37 articles on mainstreaming handicapped children (published between 1968 and 1974 in "Exceptional Children"). The collected articles are arranged within four broad categories: the general rationale for mainstreaming, other philosophical considerations, types of mainstreaming models, and teacher training and…

Despite public skepticism regarding steadily increasing numbers of learning-disabled students, most experts agree that 5 percent of schoolchildren suffer severe difficulties with language and other skills. There are three explanations: remediation is ineffective after second grade; identification comes too late; and federal policies overlook…

This meta-analysis with literature review considers whether the self-concepts of gifted and nongifted children differ and explores the effects on self-concept of labeling a child as gifted and placing the child in special programs. Studies indicate a generally higher academic self-concept among gifted students. (SLD)