Guidance services, generally, have not been
a part of special programs for mentally handicapped
children. The guidance counselor in
the past was not considered a part of the special
education team and even today in many
schools counseling is limited to the normal
students, while the special education teacher
must do his own counseling of his students.
Since there is some disagreement as to what
; mental retardation is—a genetic or environi
mental phenomenon—it must be concluded
' that our diagnostic procedures are operating
' within a somewhat nebulous construct. If it is
accepted that our diagnostic instruments are
! not completely adequate, it follows that the
intelligence test score should not be treated as
an infallible measure. Emphasis by many educators
on intellectual factors has occasionally
resulted in a parenthetical interest in personality
factors. But by concentrating on the intellectual
factors alone, sight is lost of the fact
that the mentally handicapped individual is a
part of a dynamic environment which involves
affective interaction.