Early identification — a question of science or politics?

Abstract

In Chapter 1 reference was made to Gardner’s (1983) theory of multiple intelligences. This suggests that there is a variety of intelligences — musical, linguistic, logical-mathematic, spatial and bodily-kinesthetic. But these intelligences are not necessarily equally weighted. Leonard (1987) compares the way in which Western society views language with the way it sees music. Children differ in their musical ability much as they differ in their ability to use language. Yet we do not speak of children being musically delayed and we do not generally refer children who do not meet our musical expectations for remediation. In essence, language is a species-specific domain of intelligence which carries the greatest weight of all the intelligences in our society. Accordingly children who experience difficulties acquiring the skills of language are greatly disadvantaged in the first instance and, as we have seen in Chapter 2, many go on to experience pervasive schooling problems and consequent emotional difficulties.