Essay on Intellectual Disability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Essay on Intellectual Disability - Assignment Example Explaining on, Henley et al (2009; p.32-34) state that â€Å"this classification process assumes that assigning a student a categorical name implies knowledge about the characteristics of the student's learning problem.† This means that the essential reason for labeling students is to help educators in quickly or easily identifying the students by their disability level so that the needed support can be given to them outright. Because of this, there are traditional labels such as mild, moderate and severe intellectual disability. The question that has however revolved around most circles of educational literature is whether or not labeling has lived to its purpose and whether or not labeling is still relevant today. Foreman (2009) and Thompson et al (2009) approach the subject from their own perspectives. Without any doubt the two writers under review through a lot of point for the practice of labeling of students with disability. In the case of Thompson et al (2009) for insta nce, the writers revisit the fact that for the sake of successful classification or labeling to take place, educators have always been very particular with measurement exercises. Foreman (2009) also mentions that labeling or classification leads to support enhancement. Clearly if for the sake of labeling educators will be very serious with academic measurement exercises, it means that there will be a true reflection of what each and every student represents and what each and every student made up of so that eventual placement for educational and professional courses will be effective. Again, once students with mental disability are labeled, if helps in dishing out the most precise and prescribed support for their educational needs. Indeed there is a traditional saying that a drug used to treat boils cannot be used to treat stomach ache. This is to mean that treatment that is needed by a student with a certain level or degree of mental disability will not be appropriate for a student with a different degree of mental disability. From this perspective, both groups of writers admit that labeling is useful. The concerns of the writers however do not end with the fact that labeling has its own advantages. The writers delved very deep into the potential disadvantages of scrutinized the argument whether or not the essence of labeling is being carried out in modern schools successfully. Out of the scrutiny, the writers raise the awareness that labeling may have some advantages but the practice has actually out lived its usefulness. They also hold the view that labeling is wrongfully being applied and that the needed methodical approaches are not being followed in the use of labeling of mentally disabled students. In one breadth, Thompson et al (2009) seriously question if there are no more accommodating means of identifying students with mental disability and giving them the support they need other than labeling. The simple reason that the writers advocate this is tha t labeling is lately taking away the essence for which it was institutionalized. For instance by the mere fact that students are labeled, they become widely set apart from their colleagues and the natural world around them. It must not be forgotten that the fact that students have some degrees of mental disability does not mean they are total non-functional. This means that such students would definitely have questions for themselves as to why they are being set apart. This way, instead of helping