The Pros And Cons Of Diagnostic Labeling

The Dilemma of Diagnostic Labeling
Special education has taken on a very distinct look compared to 30 years ago. Today, most learning disabled students are mainstreamed into classes with other students. While some school experts believe that the labeling of students with a learning disability causes social challenges for those students, proper testing and labeling are essential for struggling students to receive the help they need to overcome and better cope with their challenges.
The use of disability labels stimulated debate and concern in schools. Around 1975, special education in the United States evolved from institutions into the regular classrooms. Those changes have forced the public education system to develop specialized programs
The overall consensus among experts at the time was that great educators can lead all students and provide them all with a solid education no matter their learning challenges. This is far from the truth, as teachers often struggle with fears and worries regarding the education of special needs students.
A valid concern that one camp brings to the table is that once a student has been categorized with a disability, this information will follow him or her for the rest of the school career. However, not diagnosing, labeling, and placing in a proper class can create a disadvantage for the student because teachers may lower expectations. Furthermore, they may not know how to adequately handle any misbehavior stemming from the disabilities, let alone understand the root of the
The message sent can be that the student is the problem and not the disability, which can cause the student to feel guilt and shame. They also claim that the “use of disability labels by special education professionals and associated fields often focuses on the negative aspects of the disability instead of on the child’s strengths” (Blum & Bakken, 2010). Another enormous issue they maintain is that diagnostic labels are unreliable because educational evaluations are filled with quirks. Nonetheless, James M. Kauffman, a professor at the University of Virginia and scholar in the field of special education, says, “Special education must be improved not discontinued. Labeling students helps to determine eligibility on special education and place them in the right classes” (Kauffman 1999b). Kauffman also contended that the worries about negative effects of formal labeling have no grounds in research evidence. Pretending the disability does not exist in no way helps the student’s confidence, as some believe. There are always disabilities among the students. Teachers will have the choice to make the labels that describe the student's disability either positive or