The reality is that most students and teachers have multiple, complex, and even contradictory identities. This matters greatly because it's hard for young people to succeed or be well if they feel they need to hide significant parts of themselves because their identities are stigmatized for being different or stereotyped to fit into a program or a…

The authors propose a model for preparing special education teachers which accepts those differences among students that require categorical decisions for instructional pruposes but not those categories existing as mere historical artifacts. Three noncategorical teacher training programs are described, and six clusters of teacher competencies are…

The first of six articles on the topic of categorical versus noncategorical special education reviews research on the harmful effects of labeling and categorizing children and introduced the next five papers. (CL)

Culturally and educationally, the United States specializes in the production of kinds of persons described first by ethnic, racial, and linguistic lines and second by supposed mental abilities. Overlaps between the two systems of classification are frequent, systematically haphazard, and often deleterious. An examination of classrooms around the…

The author cites potential damages resulting from P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and its reliance on categories of handicapping conditions. He further notes the possibility of a backlash movement in the country's current conservatism. (CL)

Objections to the traditional categorical model of special education are followed by a summary of administrative factors supporting the tradition. Reasons underlying the persistence of the categorical approach are seen to include misconceptions about the nature of the disability categories. Learning disabilities are cited as an invalid and…

The article summarizes concurrent policy and practice concerning categorical and noncategorical diagnostic procedures for young handicapped children. The strengths and weaknesses of four noncategorical policy options are discussed. Potential misuses of noncategorical policies are reviewed, and recommendations for policy research are offered.…

Drawing upon New Hampshire data, this article analyzes transition from early intervention to preschool programs, labels assigned to preschool children, label changes as children get older, and consequences of categorical labeling. Almost one-third of children in early intervention were not eligible for preschool services because of requirements…

The article explores implications of the noncategorization of exceptional students. One area of concern is that those children who fail in school will be lumped together with handicapped children, which, the author asserts, does an obvious disservice to both. (PHR)

Children screened and served by an early childhood special education department were followed longitudinally through age eight. Results were used to evaluate effectiveness of the screening instrument and criteria which determined service eligibility. The lack of continuity between original and later disability category supported noncategorical…

Examined are the political, historic, and economic influences in England and Wales affecting the categorization and labeling of pupils with special educational needs. The paper concludes that adoption of a non-categorical classification system has been unsuccessful in abolishing labeling, but has obfuscated statistical information reported by the…

Forty-six noncategorically identified intermediate-level handicapped students were assigned to functionally grouped self-contained classes and were observed. Although special education teachers did not know unofficial labels applied to students (emotional disturbances or learning disabilities), they instructed emotionally disturbed children with…

The recommendations of the National Association of State Boards of Education's Study Group on Special Education focus on: (1) creation of a new belief system and vision that includes all students; (2) encouragement of collaboration between general and special educators to better serve the diverse student population; and (3) breaking the link…

The application of noncategorical special education in two states and categorical special education in two companion states was considered, with a focus on program practices and procedures. The effects of grade level, disability severity, and school district size on state and local implementation of the noncategorical approach were examined, and…

This commentary offers authors' reflections on their case-study approach to examining the application of categorical and noncategorical special education (EC 612 095). The reflections address why the authors decided to study this issue, how case study methodology assisted in the study, and implications of the study. (SW)