February
6, 2006
Please answer the following questions. All material is due no later than February 13, 2006 at 7:30 pm.
1. Using the text and other sources,
trace the changing attitudes toward people with mental retardation. Before 1800, mental retardation was not considered an
overriding social problem. This was because most individuals died at an early age. During
the 12th century the law started distinguishing between mental retardation and mental illness. During the 20th
century, laws and society changed drastically. Looking at mental retardation as disabilities and not shunning them.
2. After reading the material
in the text, consult outside materials on labeling and the self-fulfilling prophecy and prepare a short paper (5 or 6 pages)
examining the pros and cons of labeling. What is your belief about the self-fulfilling
prophecy? Position Paper under assignments
3. Discuss three of the many disciplines
involved with serving people with mental retardations, their major roles, and how they could effectively collaborate. Three
disciplines involve with serving people with mental retardation are Anthropology, Education, and Medicine. Anthropology gives
a methodology to research and provides useful information to compliment a existing knowledge base. The major anthropological
approach to research represents qualitative research methods, emphasizing the observation and recording of information about
people in their natural environment. Education provides instruction and research relating to instructional features. Medicine
provides medical research. This research has become vital in identify and making preventive measures for mental retardation.
Since professionals are composed with a wealth of knowledge from different perspective, professionals could tell their finding
and theories to each other. Different systems are affected in different ways. Research could provide vast knowledge to others.
New and better solutions could be offered to help the plight facing the mental retarded.
4. List and briefly discuss the
five dimensions used in diagnosis, classification, and determining support by the 2002 AAMR definition used in the text. The five dimensions are Dimension I intellectual abilities, Dimension II adaptive
behavior (conceptual, social, and practical skills, Dimension III participation, interactions, and social roles, Dimension
IV – health (physical health, mental health, and etiological factors), and Dimension V context ( environments and culture).
Dimension I A individual who is diagnosed with having mental retardation has
been determined to have intelligence and adaptive behavior that is significantly below average and must be found during developing
age which is considered 18 and younger . Dimension II Assessments of intelligence and adaptive behavior are done individually
and always involve a clinical judgment. Adaptive behavior skills are skills used in conceptual, social, practical areas. Dimension III Participation, interactions, and social roles deals with how the individual
relates to others. Dimension IV – Health (physical health, mental health,
and etiological factors) is the person as a human or as individual being, and Dimension V Context (environments and culture)
is how the world relates or involves directly to the individual and vice versa. The support that is determined by the 2002
AAMR involves the development of the plan of the supports needed by the person with mental retardation. The planning builds
on multiple dimensions of the definition, employing the assessments, and plans the appropriate support of intensity and context
for the individual’s success.
5. Discuss some of the difficulties
that might be encountered in reformulating the definition and classification of mental retardation to include more attention
to the environment. Conventional categories are not always effective and functional. Since mental retardation is a multifaceted
phenomenon, it challenges all the discipline it is faced with. Since definitions varied from one discipline to the next, a
standard definition is difficult. Another reason why formulating a definition
is difficult is because of recognizing intellectual disabilities emerging with many descriptions.
6. Compare and contrast the concepts
of incidence and prevalence. Discuss how these pertain to such factors as age
and severity in the field of mental retardation. Incidence is the tabulated number of new cases for a given period of time.
This time frame is usually one year. Prevalence is the number of cases existing at a given time. This number includes all
newly identified cases as well as cases still labeled with an earlier diagnosis. Incidence has the number of identified cases
deriving from newborns to school age children. Incidence is highest during school years , approximately occurring 5 to 18
years of age. Prevalence occurs in 6-19 years of age.
7. How might a person lose the
label “retardation”? . The label of retardation is lost because the
person is able to function in a daily lifestyle. Once an individual leave a formal school setting, the individual may lose
the label also.
8. Why is there a higher incidence
of severely retarded at the early ages? There is a higher incidence of severely retarded at the early ages because of birth
related mental retardation.
9. How can you be labeled retarded at one point in your life and later
have that label no longer apply? Provide some examples to support your statements. A person can be labeled retarded at one point and later have that label no longer
apply to them. One part is due to the post school environment. This environment is not as demanding as the formal school environment.
The individual loses the label of mental retardation because they are able to function daily. Educational laws are changing
to refers to students as learning disabled and not retarded. Society etiquette does not refer to individuals as retarded anymore.Labeling
and Self-fulfilling prophesy
Pros and Cons
Labeling has caused great controversy over the years. Labeling is assigning a child to a specify category. This category
generally represents a form of communication to others about the individual with mental retardation. Supporters feel that labeling provide stability. This stability gives cause for accountability, communicates
the student needs, and helps determines educational placement. Opponents of labeling argue the concept of self-fulfilling
prophesy, over-used identification, and labeled forever.
Students benefits from placement decisions in their educational setting. Research has shown that early intervention
is the key in educating children. Education deals with comprehension, memory, language, and fluency. When instructed properly,
a child can formulate ideas and draw on prior experience.
Preventing difficulties in young children is imperative for a child’s success in education. This success plays
an integral part in achievements as the child becomes older. Labeling may be the keep in helping educators in their jobs.
Some children are more at risk because they learn more slowly than children who learn at average or faster rate. Labeling
hurts these children especially if they are being based on one test at this time. Such children may learn at average rates,
but they have much more to learn than children who come to school with typical levels of preparation (Hart and Risley, 1995)
and thus must be given more learning opportunities in order to catch up to their peers. These students must be given additional
time and more practice in order to achieve.
When mentally retarded children are labeled, sometimes adults cripple the children further. They respond inappropriately
to students. These responses sometimes help foster a learned helplessness. “Strong labeling effects were found among
proponents of the difference position but not among proponents of the developmental position, as well as among those groups
with relatively little professional experience. Results suggest that beliefs consistent with the developmental position and
experience with retarded children both attenuate the potentially helplessness-inducing effects of the mentally retarded label.”
Although schools deal with diversity within their schools, there
is much controversy on what is the best way to deal with the diversity of the students’ educational needs. The diversity
of a student’s background could have a great impact on educational needs and could go unmet. There is a disproportionate
number of minority students placed in special education programs.
Labeling has a direct effect on the instruction and requirements
the educator places on the child. Research has shown that there is evidence to support the concept that students will largely
achieve as much as they are expected to achieve. If children in special education programs are not expected to do as well
as other children that are mainstreamed, then more than likely the students will not.
A large problem with labeling children is that it overshadows the possibility that these children have problems could
be or caused by environmental factors. Labeling the child will assuredly assume that the problem lies within the child and
not because of outside conditions. Labeling could also hide the possibility that the problem is the teacher’s inability
to meaningfully instruct this child is ignored.
The most negative
consequence of labeling mental retarded children is stigmatization. Children labeled as mental retarded are characterized
by their differences. When children with disabilities are separated from their peers and labeled stigmas and rejection are
strengthened. Labeling a child could have a detrimental effect. The child may
feel that he or she is doom and cannot learn or rise above their situation.
Parents, educators, and researchers all worry about how well children are learning. Self-fulfilling
prophesy can hurt a child. If a child believes that he or she can not achieve all is lost. Children formulate ideas at an
early age. No one wants to shunned or ridicule. If one cannot see themselves in a different view point of someone else, they
can never truly see who they are.
