THE AUTISTIC LABEL AND ITS POTENTIALLY DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THE CHILDS TREATMENT

This study asks whether adults teach a child labeled ''autistic'' differently from a child labeled ''normal''. Twenty undergraduate college students served as student-teachers. Results showed that the student-teachers gave significantly more praise and reward marbles for incorrect responses, as well as significantly less verbal correction, when the child was labeled ''autistic''. The inference is that such treatment could make it more difficult for the autistic child to acquire new skills.