Labeling is not the Issue: The Benefits of Labeling Children with Learning Disabilities when Response to Intervention is Implemented

Abstract

Labeling students with disabilities has been an educational practice since the U.S.’s passing of P.L. 94-142 in 1975; however, the issue of students being labeled as “learning disabled” remains an ongoing controversy in special education. While some researchers have focused on the negative stigma surrounding students with learning disability (LD) labels, others have highlighted the positive outcomes of these students. This paper analyzed both perspectives on the labeling of students with LDs and focused on its positive outcomes to demonstrate that labels help these students succeed in school. It also discussed the rationales for using the IQ-achievement discrepancy model and the response to intervention (RTI) approach, including their varying implementation procedures and methods, to identify students with LDs. Finally, it addressed the barriers to successfully implementing RTI in schools and explained the implications of using this approach with students with LDs, parents, general educators, and special educators.