NEUROLOGIC FINDINGS IN CHILDREN EDUCATIONALLY DESIGNATED AS "BRAIN-DAMAGED"

The question has been raised as to whether the designation "brain-damaged" any longer has any clinical or educational worth, since it has come to be applied to so many groups of aberrantly functioning children. The study reported here finds that children labeled "brain-damaged" do in fact have clear evidence of central nervous system abnormality, though of great neurologic heterogeneity. The usefulness of the label, therefore, may be to prevent us from attributing undue weight to the etiologic role of social environment or parental care.