ABSTRACT
As a general rule, the most severely handicapped children are likely to be identified at birth or soon after by general practitioners (GPs), hospitals, health visitors, or, of course, parents. The referral of pupils from ethnic minority groups into special education provision has been a matter for concern in many quarters for many years. Because of this concern note was taken of those instances where any of the pupils' referral papers made mention of racial or ethnic background. It is not surprising that the number of referred children declines along with IQ. As children fall into the IQ groups below one standard deviation from the norm there is a tendency to begin to consider them for the alternative placement of a school for the educationally subnormal. The central and powerful role of the school in the process predetermines which features of which children will be prioritised in the referral processes.
