The Influence of Sexism on the Education of Handicapped Children

Abstract

The sex label is viewed as having a pervasive influence on the education of handicapped children. The identification of exceptional children as either male or female results in arbitrary practice, discriminatory judgments, and intervention decisions which limit opportunities for personal and vocational development and are in violation of federal legislation. Specific attention is drawn to biases contained within special class curricula which reinforce traditional roles, to vocational training practices which program children for economic discrimination by encouraging selection of traditional occupational roles, and to special class placement processes which result in the selection of a greater number of boys than girls in all significant areas of exceptionality. The implications for major activities within special education are discussed.