I think it's the anti-intellectual backlash, so any term will be seen as negative.
I really think we have to get past that if we want to have any power to advocate at a higher level then one-on-one at schools for our own kids. But if we reject all labels, then we are saying that our kids aren't a group, that they aren't more alike than different, and that weakens our ability to get systemic changes made.
Is my kid just exactly like every other kid discussed on this forum? No. But could the system be changed in ways that would improve the educational system for all our kids, whatever you call them, and whatever their differences? Heck, yes! And without a label, those systemic changes will never happen.
I'll say it again: labels are tools. They either get kids what they need or they keep kids from getting what they need. But simply refusing to use the tools doesn't change the system or help the kids. You can't win if you don't play by the rules. Labels are the rules. Use them to your advantage.
