LABELING AND THE PERCEPTION OF HANDICAP AMONG BLACK MILDLY MENTALLY-RETARDED ADULTS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 87  (3) , 266-276
Abstract
Participant-observational research and interviewing with 45 young black adults who were labeled mildly mentally retarded during their school yr indicated that the majority of these persons continued to label themselves in various ways and to perceive themselves as adaptively limited. Moreover, all of their parents labeled their adult children and recognized limitations in their adaptive behavior; observations confirmed the presence of various adaptive limitations. These adults did not disappear into their communities but continued to see themselves and be seen by others as limited in adaptive skills, particularly academic skills such as reading and writing.