Inclusion is a most discussed phenomenon at our society.
Children with disable needs, when they go to mainstream schools,
face a lot of problems. One of them is stigma. Mainstream education
is a key policy in the promotion of social inclusion (Scottish
Executive, 2000; Department of Health 2002).
Stigma is a complex term defined as a visible or invisible
attribute, deeply discrediting, that disqualifies its bearer from
full social acceptance, often resulting in several forms of
discrimination (Goffman, 1963). There is evidence that different
educational settings may expose children to different levels of
stigmatized treatment. Due to their cognitive impairments, the
social identities of intellectually disabled children can be
devalued and depersonalized into stereotypic caricatures (Crocker
et al 1998).
Literature suggests three strategies most used against
stigma.
Key words: stigma, school, disability,
strategy, teacher