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Influence of personal competence profiles on mainstreaming recommendations of school psychologists
Author(s) -
Javel Mary Ellen,
Greenspan Stephen
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6807(198310)20:4<459::aid-pits2310200413>3.0.co;2-2
Subject(s) - psychology , mainstreaming , competence (human resources) , referral , developmental psychology , special education , medical education , mathematics education , social psychology , medicine , nursing
This study explored the hypothesis that providing competence‐oriented information about children is less likely to result in restrictive special education placements than is provision of deficit‐oriented information. One hundred ninety‐five school psychologists were presented with either competence profiles or problem‐oriented verbal descriptions of 10 children, who were either not given a previous label or given the label “learning disabled” or “behaviorally/emotionally impaired.” The subjects were asked to indicate the level of most appropriate educational mainstreaming on a 9‐point scale. In line with the hypothesis, children depicted through competence profiles were recommended for significantly less restrictive placements than were children depicted through problem‐oriented descriptions. There was no discernible effect, however, stemming from the assignment of a previous label. Implications of these findings for the mode of presentation of referral information when making special education recommendations about children are discussed.