The neurodiversity paradigm is a social justice concept that reframes neurologically based conditions including autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities, as beneficial forms of diversity. A question arising from this framework is the degree to which people forge neurodiversity identities based in self-acceptance. Little is known about identity…

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of 6th grade students with learning disabilities educated in their least restrictive environment (LRE) to the maximum extent appropriate sitting next to their non-disabled peers. Two theories guided this study, social identity theory and the social model of disability.…

Dysgraphia, a specific learning disability, impairs legible and automatic letter production by hand, which can interfere with written composing. The goal of the current study was not to investigate effective methods for teaching self-regulated writing to students with dysgraphia, but rather to investigate their self that is involved in their…

Dysgraphia, a specific learning disability, impairs legible and automatic letter production by hand, which can interfere with written composing. The goal of the current study was not to investigate effective methods for teaching self-regulated writing to students with dysgraphia, but rather to investigate their self that is involved in their…

This study brings together 2 case studies to interrogate the intersectional experiences of historically marginalized youth at the intersections of power and identity from a decolonizing mental health disability studies in education (DSE) cripstemology approach. Specifically, we analyzed how US schools create normalized meanings of mental health.…

Artist-teacher and artist-learner collaboration was used to observe the development of confidence and artistic identity in cis-gender female adolescents with learning disabilities. The combined focus on both teacher and student identity development as artists within the art classroom was applied as the curriculum to arts education through…

Edited by a diverse group of expert collaborators, the "Handbook of the Cultural Foundations of Learning" is a landmark volume that brings together cutting-edge research examining learning as entailing inherently cultural processes. Conceptualizing culture as both a set of social practices and connected to learner identities, the…

Self-advocacy is linked to the success and retention of students with disabilities in college. Self-advocacy is defined as communicating individual wants, needs, and rights to determine and pursue required accommodations. While self-advocacy is linked to academic success, little is known about how students with disabilities in science, technology,…

Special education labeling ignores historical, emotional, spiritual, sociocultural effects of labeling Black and Brown students with disabilities. Utilizing critical disability studies, critical race theory and spiritual paradigm, we interrogate construction and expression of differences of Learning Disability and Speech and Language Impairment.…

The number of students with learning disabilities (LD) attending postsecondary institutions with the intent of graduating and pursuing employment is progressively increasing. This paper was developed from the experiences of Mitchell's (a pseudonym) participation in a four-year research study with nine other college students with LD. At the end of…

"Disability and the University: A Disabled Students' Manifesto" is a guide to what students with disabilities need to know about attending university, as well as to the essentials universities should provide for these students. Each chapter presents a benchmark for students to follow as they travel through the institution, and lays clear…

Concerned about traditional practice that attempted to manage the challenging behavior of learners with learning difficulty and disabilities (LLDD) in learning and social environments, I questioned the extent to which they could manage themselves. From 265 students, 15 males, median age of 19, were invited to participate in 12 weekly one-hour…

The pursuit of higher education has become increasingly popular among students of many different backgrounds and cultures. As these students embark on higher learning, it is imperative for educators and universities to be culturally sensitive to their differing individualities. "Student Culture and Identity in Higher Education" is an…

The Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) recently revised its SLD identification policy to include a requirement to document a student's response to intervention coupled with a comprehensive evaluation. To implement this policy, the SDE is using multiple implementation drivers. In this article, we describe how and why the new policy was…

My research combined two qualitative narrative methods, autoethnography and portraiture. These methodologies were used to design word portraits of three second-grade boys, one second-grade and two third-grade teachers, and one special educator. This study's focus was twofold: exploring the literacy and learning perspectives of second-grade…