Effects of Labeling Learning Disabled Students (2024)

FAQs

What are the benefits of labeling students with disabilities? ›

A label can provide a clear explanation.

For example, if you know that your child has dyslexia and attends a school where there are no accommodations for dyslexia, it may be easier for you as a parent to advocate for different teaching methods or extra time on tests in order to meet your child's needs.

Low Self-Esteem for the Student

However, many children do have low self-esteem once they are labeled. “Students who are identified as students with disabilities may doubt themselves, feel that they are not as smart as others and create a sense of learned helplessness,” says Newsome.

These labels reflect how people think about others and themselves. Most of the time they are harmless, but they can be damaging. Attaching a label to ourselves can negatively affect our self-esteem and hold us back, and attaching a label to other people can cause the persistence of negative stereotypes.

Research has found that engaging in affect labeling results in higher brain activity within the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), and reduced activity in the amygdala when compared to other tasks involving emotional stimuli.

Negative side effects of labeling include social stigma, lower expectations from peers and teachers, and self-fulfilling prophecy, a prediction that comes true, where the student begins to perform lower due to the expectations that he or she will perform badly.

Having a learning disability affects the way a person understands information, and how they communicate. This means they can have difficulty understanding new or complex information, learning new skills, or coping independently.

Learning disabilities are lifelong, but if educators can identify them appropriately and then deliver specialized instruction so that individuals learn compensatory strategies many individuals are able to overcome their limitations.

Labels may seem innocuous, but they can be harmful. Labeling ourselves can negatively affect our self-esteem and hold us back. And labeling people can cause the persistence of negative stereotypes.

What is an example of Labelling effect? ›

Someone in high school that has been labeled as a nerd, for example, may begin to think of himself or herself as a loser due to other people's opinions and treatment. Someone who has been stigmatized usually has lower self-esteem and may even behave more deviantly as a result of the negative label.

Instead, students' unique experiences and perspectives should be normalized, not marginalized. This reduces a problem known as “stereotype threat,” a phenomenon in which students perform worse academically when they are worried about living up to a negative stereotype about their group.

Apart from the emotional damage labeling a child can cause, there are other reasons to exhibit great caution before identifying a child as disabled. Too often, once children have been taken through the process of identification, the label they receive is so broad as to be nondescript and certainly unhelpful.

Some drawbacks of labeling are that a teacher may have preconceived ideas of the child's capabilities based on the label and may not teach the child to their fullest capability. This can create ineffective schooling.

It is associated with the concepts of self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotyping. Labeling theory holds that deviance is not inherent in an act, but instead focuses on the tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those seen as deviant from standard cultural norms.

On one hand, labeling can provide students with access to much-needed support and resources, ensuring that they receive the specialized assistance they require to thrive academically.

Knowledge that Comes with the Label can be Empowering. For many parents, diagnostic labels help define the problems their children face and allow for greater understanding.

Studies show that inclusion is beneficial for all students — not just for those who get special education services. In fact, research shows that inclusive education has positive short-term and long-term effects for all students. Kids with special education needs who are in inclusive classes are absent less often.

Which of the following is a benefit of a disability label (such as "learning disabilities")? Answers: Labels tell teachers what teaching methods to use. The process used to determine labels qualifies students for special services.