. Labeling the child does not explain why he doesn’t learn, and it does not indicate the actual problem. To label a child is to take away his identity .In order for the actual problem to be pinpointed, the child has to go through a series of examinations and evaluations. After the child is tested he is directed to the type of class that will give him what he is missing. It is at this point where we hope that there will be a successful remediation and that this child will eventually be able to enter the mainstream (an attempt to keep a learning disabled child with a peer group in the appropriate grade). The type of classroom that the child is placed in emerges from the reports of the various special disciplines and from the actual evaluations and assessment tests. The child is looked at informally whether he is cooperative during sessions and the length of his attention span. He is also evaluated formally through a variety of tests. When placing a child there are many things to consider. The child’s ability in language skills is an important area in determining his intelligence; that is, being able to count to ten or recite the alphabet, enumerate the days in the week and the months of the year. In addition, the evaluators often prefer to get an idea of whether the child is familiar with his/her surroundings. Questions such as, determining the day of the week, are often helpful to see whether or not the child is alert. Many of the informal tests are dependent upon the child’s age. A child who is five would surely be expected to know less that a child who is ten years of age. Another factor that interests many evaluators is the child’s ability to identify shapes, colors, and body parts. The final part of most of the informal testing techniques is to test the child’s writing abilities. First the child is asked to write simple things such as his name, address, birthday, telephone number, etc. The smallest fact...
