Labels Attached to Individuals with Exceptionalities Discussion

Many will tell you that labels are only words that don’t have any effect on us. After all we grew up saying “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” However anyone who has ever been labeled, especially in a negative way, will tell you that these words can be so much more harmful that any stick or stone. When looking at the power of words and thus labels you will find that they shape impressions and create expectations that far too often become self-fulfilling prophecies.

In Chapter 1 (pp. 4-8) the authors discuss a number of labels attached to individuals with exceptionalities. After reading this chapter and conducting a web search on the power of labels write a 1-2 page paper describing some of these labels and the beliefs associated with them. Also examine and evaluate judgments about capacity and value that are expressed with these labels. What label do the authors of your text suggest we should use, and why?