The Disabled: Treated as Humans
Throughout history, people with disabilities have been socially disadvantaged, not because of limitations but because of assumptions made about them based on group characteristics (Schaefer, 2015 p.372). Scapegoating someone because they have a disability, assuming that the individual is the same as someone else with the same disability, is the same as saying that all people with tattoos are dangerous. If there is a news article about someone with bipolar disorder that went on a shooting spree, does not mean that the man next door with bipolar disorder is going to run down the street killing everyone.
Diagnosing Disabilities: Not Always that Easy
One student in a class that is hyperactive may not necessarily …show more content…
There are some advantages to students that are labeled with a disability. Students with a learning disability are evaluated and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may be implemented. An IEP is a plan for an individual student that is customized with accommodations and modifications to the individual student’s needs and abilities. It also sets goals for the student. However, labeling a student may show other students that they are different. Special education classes are often known as the weird, LD, or slow students. These students are often made fun of or called names. Disability-related labels are used unnecessarily to describe a person. A disability should not be used as the primary adjective used to identify an individual, such as ‘the autistic student in my class.’ A disability is not the most important descriptor of any individual. It is best to focus on the person first and not the disability. Defining persons by their disability, as if the disability comprises the entirety of the person, often isolates or segregates people and more importantly, fails to recognize their humanness that goes well beyond the disability (Davis, 2004). A young person with a disability such as ADHD, autism, or other learning disability should be known as the person that they are and not as the person with a
Throughout history, people with disabilities have been socially disadvantaged, not because of limitations but because of assumptions made about them based on group characteristics (Schaefer, 2015 p.372). Scapegoating someone because they have a disability, assuming that the individual is the same as someone else with the same disability, is the same as saying that all people with tattoos are dangerous. If there is a news article about someone with bipolar disorder that went on a shooting spree, does not mean that the man next door with bipolar disorder is going to run down the street killing everyone.
Diagnosing Disabilities: Not Always that Easy
One student in a class that is hyperactive may not necessarily …show more content…
There are some advantages to students that are labeled with a disability. Students with a learning disability are evaluated and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may be implemented. An IEP is a plan for an individual student that is customized with accommodations and modifications to the individual student’s needs and abilities. It also sets goals for the student. However, labeling a student may show other students that they are different. Special education classes are often known as the weird, LD, or slow students. These students are often made fun of or called names. Disability-related labels are used unnecessarily to describe a person. A disability should not be used as the primary adjective used to identify an individual, such as ‘the autistic student in my class.’ A disability is not the most important descriptor of any individual. It is best to focus on the person first and not the disability. Defining persons by their disability, as if the disability comprises the entirety of the person, often isolates or segregates people and more importantly, fails to recognize their humanness that goes well beyond the disability (Davis, 2004). A young person with a disability such as ADHD, autism, or other learning disability should be known as the person that they are and not as the person with a