Special Education Services for the "Mildly Handicapped": Beyond a Diagnostic and Remedial Model

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Abstract
This paper takes the position that the use of a diagnostic-remedial model to provide special education services to the "mildly handicapped" is often inappropriate. The inadequacies inherent in the diagnostic-remedial approach are presented from both philosophical and operational perspectives. At a philosophical level, the fallacious assumptions associated with the model are presented. Operational ramifications of these assumptions (e.g., the techniques and functions of assessment) are critiqued. The thrust of the argument is that special education must expand its role along the lines of an interactive model. In this vein, the teacher consultant role is suggested as a viable alternative to diagnostic-remedial services.

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