Youth Disabilities In the United States, children with disabilities have become more active over the years. They show interest in joining regular learning classes rather than special education classes. Of course, there are many types of disabilities, but if all children with disabilities become more active and interact with other children, it will benefit the child with disabilities and their peers. This will teach them to interact and learn from each other. District school boards should integrate all children with disabilities into regular classes and activities. Three common misconceptions about people with disabilities are a major factor in society. These misconceptions reflect the characteristics of stigma. Stigmas are society's negative thoughts that disapprove of a person's characteristics when those characteristics are considered different from "social norms" (Dudley 80). The first common misconception among the public is that people with intellectual disabilities have little or no conscience. or understanding their disabilities. Research studies reveal otherwise. Several studies on the self-perception of mentally handicapped subjects reveal that most of them are aware of their handicap, often acutely, and that most have fairly precise descriptions and explanations of their condition. (Dudley 80) The second public misconception is that “people with mental disabilities are indifferent to the language used to talk about them and their disabilities” (Dudley 81). However, results from numerous studies show that a significant percentage of the disability community considered mentally retarded prefer a less stigmatizing label, such as "developmentally disabled, slow, mildly retarded... middle of paper. ..my buddy. “Creating a better world for special people.” » Educational Leadership 58.7 (2001): 74-75. Internet. January 21, 2010. Ebsco. Hartwell, Richard. “Understanding disability”. Educational Leadership 58.7 (2001): 72-75. Internet. January 21, 2010. Ebsco. Kelleher, Olivia and Sean Flynn. “Keep special needs classes if students need them – report it.” Irish Times February 2, 2010. Web. February 8, 2010. Ebsco. “Learning Disabilities in Children: Symptoms, Types and Tests.” » Helpguide.org: and Web. February 9, 2010. Mullen, Caitlin. “20 years of helping people with disabilities.” Sanford Herald (NC) January 15, 2010. Web. January 31, 2010. Ebsco. “Special education: practical introduction”. Great schools. nd Web. February 8, 2010. http://www.greatschools.org/LD/school-learning/special-education-a-practical-primer.gs?content=8&page=all.