Some Thoughts on Group Identification

Abstract

The quality and depth of a learning-disabled person's group identification may be significantly related to his mental health, self-concept and self-esteem, and societal conformity. The learning-disabled child may feel alienated from his family and they from him because they do not share his experience and have difficulty discovering ways wherein he can be a rewarding family member. There is a tendency to arrange recreation experiences for a child without taking into account his readiness for sheltered or integrated reaction, the implications of sheltered recreation on peer identification, or whether the desired social learning can take place in a sheltered program. The knowledge to assist families to appreciate the child's role in the family is available, but that knowledge must be translated into services. Similarly, the expertise exists to determine a child's social readiness and match that to a model in which there is an active thrust towards normalcy. The importance of utilizing this knowledge and expertise must be recognized.