Voices and Visions from Ethnoculturally Diverse Young People with Disabilities

• Main Author: Ajodhia-Andrews, Amanda (Author)
• Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
• Format: Electronic eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Rotterdam : SensePublishers : Imprint: SensePublishers, 2016.
• Subjects: Education.; Education, general.

 Many Canadian children from minority status groups experience long-term academic complexities, influencing their sense of school belonging and engagement. Research demonstrates children with intersecting differences of race, ethnicity, language, and disability, and those in their middle years (10–13 years old), undergo heightened academic challenges. Yet, what are children with disabilities’ personal schooling experiences, and how may these insights support inclusive learning, teaching, and sense of belonging? Within Toronto, one of the most diverse Canadian cities, this book explores the stories and experiences of six middle years children with intersecting differences of race, ethnicity, language, and disabilities (particularly autism). Through narrative and critical discourse analysis research methods the children’s views were accessed via a mosaic multi-method data collection approach, including their own photography, drawings, journal writings, imaginative story games, and interview texts. The children’s narratives illustrate their understandings of differences, learning, and inclusion. This book presents innovative insights highlighting the voices of children with disabilities as they navigate through complex issues of diversity and share how these impact their understandings and experiences of school inclusion and exclusion. The author advocates inviting the voices of children with intersecting differences into educational conversations and research processes, as they may adeptly advance areas of inclusion and diversity. . 

 Acknowledgments -- List of Tables -- List of Figures -- Introduction -- A Multiplicity of Voices -- Defining Terms: Why Minoritized? -- Canada’s Educational Landscape and Middle Years Minoritized Children -- Purpose of the Study -- Inclusion, Disability, Autism, and Policy: Considering Context -- Models of Disability -- Autism Spectrum Disorder -- Autism Spectrum Disorder and Diagnostic Statistics in Canada -- Canadian Policies on Disability, Autism, and Inclusion -- Complexities of Multiple Differences, Inclusive Education, and Student Voice -- Differences and Intersectionality -- Schools and Inequities -- Inclusive Education and School Knowledge -- Inclusive Education, Marginalization, and Difference -- Teacher Conceptions of Diversity and Inclusion -- Children’s Involvement in Inclusive Educational Research -- Participants’ Portraits and Personal Narratives -- Gem -- Alice -- Simon -- Mew -- Edward -- William -- Understandings of Differences: Ethnicity, Culture, Race, Language, Disability, and Autism -- General Perspectives on Differences -- Ethnicity, Culture, Race, and Language -- Disability and Autism -- Sense of School Belonging: Dilemmas of Inclusion and Exclusion -- Inclusion -- Exclusion -- Intersections of Differences and Forms of Oppression: What Does This Mean for Schools? -- Research with Minoritized Disabled Young People -- Concluding Remarks -- References. .