An expansion of the Social Coping Questionnaire was used to investigate how 229 gifted students (ages 11-17) coped with being identified as gifted. Results found five social coping factors: denial of giftedness, emphasis on popularity, peer acceptance, social interaction, and the hiding of giftedness. Females were more likely to deny abilities.…

The concept of "adult status" for young people with disabilities is explored in terms of its social, psychological, legal, and policy implications. The report argues that traditionally institutionalized rehabilitation techniques, whether in education, vocational training, or sheltered employment, have tended not to encourage autonomy and…

It has been argued that traditional psychiatric labels, hospitalization, anti-psychotic medication, and associated assistance programs tend to reinforce and perpetuate a sense of helplessness and dependency among mental patients. To investigate feelings of power and dependency of 15 neuropsychiatric patients in a sheltered workshop,…

The study involving 16 male Mexican American students and 16 Anglo students (10-12 years old) who had been categorized as educable mentally handicapped (EMH) was conducted to examine the relationship between special education labels and race, and student and teacher perception on scores of the Modified Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI). The teacher…

Analysis of the responses to the Issues in Disability Scale made by 244 disabled and nondisabled persons suggests that the strain that frequently occurs during interactions between disabled and nondisabled individuals may derive more from misunderstandings of one another's expectations than from negative intentions. (Author/BJV)

The author, writing from the first-person viewpoint of a child, relates what he hopes for from school in terms of learning, respect, climate, and understanding. (KC)

This article examines the effects of labeling students "gifted." Educators are urged to spend less time on identification and more on providing services, conduct ongoing needs assessments, allow students to self-select areas of independent study, and educate stakeholders so the label is not perceived as the access to services. (CR)

Discusses how being labeled "at risk" sometimes begins a proleptic cycle for such children. Considers that current challenges to the deficit assumption hold that their differences are sometimes used to deny children literacy experiences that would support growth in literacy understanding. Discusses student perceptions of their…

Describes a many-faceted class activity involving readings, small group and class discussions, and writing an essay. Notes that, in the essay, the students first think and write about the names people have called them and/or their culture and then rename themselves, thereby gaining personal and political power. (SR)

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 paper uses case studies of culturally diverse exceptional learners to illustrate the impact of teacher expectations on the "accuracy" or "inaccuracy" of student self-concepts. In addition, innovative techniques that reduce stereotypic labels and enhance "accurate" self-concepts are discussed. Critical issues in teacher expectation are…

Reviews the pros and cons of labeling within the classroom, including the effects on self-concept and peer relationships. Argues that integration can be successful, if implemented by an effective and prepared instructor and that activities which are accommodating may allow integration to be successful. (Author/CR)

Discussed is the impact of poverty, public education, and self-concept on the classification of persons as mentally retarded. Research relating to the effects of poverty on academic performance is reviewed, and intervention strategies such as improved housing and provision of a guaranteed minimum wage are suggested. Community control and…

Focuses on variations in perceptions and conceptions of machismo within Mexican and Latino culture. Studies how Latino fathers living in United States perceive machismo, utilizing data from in-depth interviews. Identifies two models of masculinity, one as compensation for powerlessness, the other grounded in ethics, honor, and courage. (TES)

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,…