ABSTRACT
It is often thought that diagnostic labels stigmatize children and obscure their individual uniqueness. Those who argue against such labels hold that what is needed is rather to understand the origins of particular behavioural and emotional difficulties, and to know how the individual child’s developmental needs can best be met both within the family and at school. Yet a diagnostic label for a psychological disturbance or for a particular personality configuration does not take away the individuality of a person. On the contrary, it clarifies something the person ‘has’, not what he or she is, and it often opens doors to a better understanding of the child and to the practical resources, for example, special educational help, that may be needed to promote his or her development.
