One of my early experiences as a student teaching special needs children relates to an occurrence when I observed a teacher correcting a child, in a loud and demeaning way for failing to pick up dance sequence. Sue (name withheld) started crying and refused to participate in the dance class. 'You didn't get one step right'! Teacher said. 'No', was the reply from the young girl. All the children in the class responded by feeling …showed first 75 words of 370 total…

…showed last 75 words of 370 total…point out the positive aspects of the child's dance sequence and show the class how well she executed the step. Instead of the child leaving the class feeling low and inferior, she left on a bright note. Dattilo, J. & Smith, R., 1990, Communicating positive attitudes toward people with disabilities through sensitive terminology. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, Vol (1), pp.1-10. Goffman, E, 1997, Selections from Stigma. In The disability studies reader, ed., L. Davis, Routledge, London, pp.203-215.