This book presents an in-depth discussion of how human disability and parental advocacy have been constructed in American society, including recommendations for a more authentically inclusive vision of parental advocacy. The authors provide a cultural-historical view of the conflation of racism, classism, and ableism that has left a deeply…

This article contends that the equity and advocacy expectations embedded in the legal mandate for parent participation in the special education decision-making process directly contradict the hierarchy of professional status and knowledge on which the positivist paradigm of professionalism is based and are also in conflict with the values held by…

Two traditions that have combined to discourage participation of African-American parents in special education procedures are described: a deficit view of African-American families and a deficit view of children's learning difficulties. Including parents in assessment, placement, policy making, and advocacy is recommended to restore the balance of…