The enforcement of normalcy in schools and the disablement of families: unpacking master narratives on parental denial |
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Authors: | Priya Lalvani |
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Institution: | Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Literacy Education, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA |
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Abstract: | The notion that some parents may be ‘in denial’ is a pervasive theme in dominant discourses on families of children with disabilities. In this analytic essay, I deconstruct cultural and institutional master narratives on parental denial and discuss their role in the marginalization of students with disabilities in schools. I argue that discourses on parental denial privilege the perspectives of those in positions of power and control, leave the practice of ability-based segregation in schools unexamined, and discredit agency among families. Additionally, drawing from existing narrative-based research, I explore alternative interpretations of parents’ responses to their children’s differences, situating these in the framework of critical disability studies. |
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Keywords: | master narratives inclusive education families of children with disabilities parents’ perspectives professional–family partnerships critical disability studies |
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