I do not share others' fear of labels-- a disability label is better than the label of "slow" or "stupid" for a child who operates at an unusual pace, or "bad" for a child with behavioral issues. Outliers are going to be labeled-- better IMO to have the correct name for what's going on and some control over the message.
I agree. I also think it's helped my kids (as human beings) to know other kids who come "with labels". My kids have been in class and at camp with kids with ADHD, autism, dyslexia. My dysgraphic ds has a classmate this year who is also dysgraphic. I'm sure there are other kids with diagnoses that haven't been shared, but everything I've seen re the kids & families who are open about and share their diagnosis with the other kids - I truly believe it's helped give my children a good perspective on how we are all different as human beings and how that's ok. It seems (jmo) that the kids who have the diagnoses and who share them (just in the school situations we've been in) are kids who are included as part of the classroom "whole". The kids who do *not* have a diagnosis that is known to the other students in class stand out more because their peers don't have a context to put their differences into. Sorry I'm not explaining any of this very well. Basically, when my kids are in a class with a student who has autism or adhd or whatever, it's like just a part of who that kid is, akin to being in class with a kid who has red or brown hair - it's seen as part of who they are and everyone is different and that's ok.
polarbear
