Disability, Intersectionality, and Belonging in Special Education

Elizabeth A. Harkins (Monaco), EdD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education, Professional Counseling, and Disability Studies at William Paterson University. She is the current Director of the Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disabilities Advanced Masters Program. Dr. Harkins has extensive experience serving students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in a variety of settings. Prior to entering academia, she worked for over a decade as a special education administrator, classroom teacher, and family advocate. Dr. Harkins’ scholarly interests focus on the critical importance of social justice pedagogy alongside educational excellence for all students. Some of her recent publications include manuscripts that examine the multiple, overlapping social identities for students with ASD and I/DD; the impacts of social injustices for individuals with disabilities; culturally sustaining practices; and intersectional pedagogy.L. Lynn Stansberry Brusnahan, PhD, is a professor in and Chair of the Department of Special Education in the School of Education at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. She coordinates the autism and developmental disabilities master’s programs. She is a private educational consultant and parent of an adult son with autism. She earned her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she studied contemporary educational issues within urban settings. She has served on the board of directors for the Autism Society of America and Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD). She co-authored Do-Watch-Listen-Say: Social and communication skills for autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Stansberry Brusnahan’s scholarly interests focus on autism and teacher preparation. In 2012, she was the Autism Society of America’s Professional of the Year. Marcus C. Fuller, PhD, is a visiting lecturer in the Department of Education at The University of Vermont. He earned his doctorate in special education at Texas A&M University. He has served teachers and parents from various ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic status, and age groups within urban and rural areas. Dr. Fuller's scholarly interests focus on empowering families, educators, and researchers by helping them increase their implementation skills during interventions with children with behavior disorders, autism, and/or complex communication needs through the use of educational coaching and performance feedback. Dr. Fuller has served as a reviewer for multiple journals and conference proposals as an active member of the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC), Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD), and the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD).Martin Odima Jr., M.A., is a Black, cisgender, male from St. Paul, Minnesota. Martin is a Special Education Teacher Coach in the Saint Paul Public School (SPPS) District in Minnesota. Also, Martin is an adjunct faculty in the Department of Special Education at the University of St. Thomas where he teaches undergraduate and graduate students the history, policies, and practices of Special Education. He studied psychology at the University of Minnesota and completed his master’s in special education at the University of St. Thomas. His scholarly interests focus on educational equity, inclusive practices for students with disabilities, and retention of teachers of color. His publications include a focus on teaching strategies for special education teachers to thrive and persist in the field. Martin is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in special education at the University of Minnesota.

Disability, Intersectionality, and Belonging in Special Education offers preservice educators to practicing professionals in the field of education critical theories, frameworks, and strategies to rally improvements in the lives of students with disabilities. The textbook is divided into four parts with 12 chapters illustrating the concepts of disability with intersectional belonging in special education. By applying research to actual experiences, this volume helps practitioners understand that students are more than disabled and have sociocultural identities that impact their needs. Each chapter also provides vignettes with pause-and-reflect questions. Preservice teachers need to pay close attention to chapters 4–6, which present an overview of various models for describing disability and how society thinks about it. Part 3 provides school and classroom strategies for incorporating students with diverse sociocultural identities. The final section reminds readers to be mindful of their own biases when they communicate with students. In sum, practitioners need to create a sense of belonging for all students. It is refreshing to examine a textbook that finally promotes a more comprehensive environment for all students with disabilities. Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty; professionals.

• Table of ContentsSection I: From the Culture of Disability-to-Disability CultureChapter 1: Historical and Modern Contexts of Culture and the Impact on BelongingAuthor BiographiesAbstractGuiding QuestionsCultureA Modern View of CultureCultural Expressions in SchoolsCultural Expressions in SchoolsReferencesChapter 2: Intersectionality in the Context of DisabilityAuthor BiographiesAbstractGuiding QuestionsThe Impact of Intersectional Sociocultural IdentitiesIntersectional Competence in Special EducationSummaryReferencesChapter 3: Disability Culture in the Deaf and Autistic CommunitiesAuthor BiographiesAbstractGuiding QuestionsDisability as a Sociocultural IdentityDisability Culture in Educational ContextsInequities in EducationSummary ReferencesSection II: Critical Theories that Influence our Views of Disability and Race Chapter 4: Critical Race Theory: The Dos, the Don’ts, the Already Dones, & the Stop DoingsAuthor Biographies AbstractGuiding QuestionsThe History of CRTThe Do’s: What is CRT?The Don’ts: What CRT is NotThe Already Dones: Critical Race Theory in EducationSummaryReferencesChapter 5: The Journey of Disability Studies: Contemplating Disability CriticallyAuthor BiographiesAbstractDisability StudiesDiscovering the Need for Critical Disability StudiesSeeking Racial JusticeLooking ForwardSummary ReferencesChapter 6: The History of Disability, Disability Models, and a View for the Future: The Past is PrologueAuthor BiographiesAbstractGuiding Questions Introduction to the History of Disability Rights in the United StatesModels of DisabilityThe Language of DisabilityDisability in the MediaModels of Disability in EducationSummary ReferencesSection III: Educational Frameworks that Champion Equity Chapter 7: Intersectional Sociocultural Competency and Educational EquityAuthor BiographiesAbstractGuiding Questions EquitySummaryReferencesChapter 8: Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices: The What, the Why, and the HowAuthor BiographiesAbstractGuiding Questions What and Why Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Pedagogy?Embedding Practices into Special Education Teaching FrameworksFrom Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices to Socioculturally Sustaining PracticesSummaryReferencesChapter 9: Educational Practices to Acknowledge and Incorporate Students’ Sociocultural Identities and ExperiencesAuthor BiographiesAbstractGuiding Questions Special EducationNow What: Remixed EducationSummaryReferencesSection IV: Social and Cultural Rights Movements that Impact Special Education Chapter 10: Disability Rights: The Impact of Social and Cultural Movements on Special Education Author BiographiesAbstractGuiding Questions AbleismSocial and Cultural Rights Movements in the 20th CenturyDisability as a Cultural PhenomenonEffective Interventions for Increasing a Sense of BelongingSummaryReferencesChapter 11: The Push and Pull of the Litigation-Legislation-Litigation Cycle Author BiographiesAbstractGuiding Questions United States Special Education LawImpact of Activism on LanguageInclusion and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)DisproportionalityEducational FrameworksSummaryReferencesChapter 12: Intersectional Belonging in Special EducationAuthor BiographiesAbstractGuiding Questions Factors that Impact Special EducationSpecial Education’s ImpactCreating a Sense of BelongingSummaryReferencesEditor BiographiesGlossary