Handicapped Labels and Instructional Segregation: Influences on Children's Self-Concepts versus the Perceptions of Others

Self-concept scores of preadolescent mildly handicapped children enrolled in one of three instructional settings (one- or two-hour resource and self-contained) were compared to those of regular-class students whose teachers indicated they were having sufficient academic difficulties to warrant special education placement. In addition, mothers of children in all groups were asked to complete a copy of the self-concept measure by responding to the items as they would expect their offspring to respond. The relatively higher scores for special education students as opposed to regular-class students was taken in support of the contention that (a) children's self-concepts are largely dependent on social comparisons to others in their primary reference group; and (b) partial instructional segregation in homogeneous groups may enhance young handicapped children's self-concepts by providing them a more favorable environment in which to make social comparisons. The finding that mothers of handicapped children consistently underestimated their children's scores while mothers of regular-class children overestimated their offspring's results was considered evidence that handicapped labels might alter others' perceptions of how special education students feel about themselves. However, no evidence was found to suggest that the low self-concept estimates on the part of handicapped mothers influenced their children's scores. The findings are synthesized within a discussion of new cognitive-developmental models of self-concept formation and maintenance that call into question many long-held assumptions about the influence of special education on children's self-concept.