Journal Article

The Discursive Practice of Learning Disability

Weatherly Valle, Jan, Reid, D. Kim

2004

Overview

This article serves as an invitation to rethink and to broaden the scope of learning disabilities (LD) research and practice. We begin with 3 assumptions: Education in a representative democracy is inevitably a political enterprise; social justice is everyone's responsibility, but educators have a special role to play; and segregated schooling is neither equal nor equitable. After an analysis of the primary extant discourses, we argue for a more comprehensive and more openly political vision of the LD field, which we think is supported by Disability Studies in Education. Finally, we draw 3 conclusions relevant to our collective work as researchers and educators. First, learning disabilities are not objective fact; they are historically and culturally determined. Second, disability is both a personal and a societal attribute. Finally, learning disabilities are not and have never been immutable. We contend that we are ethically bound to transform educational practices to both welcome and accommodate everybody's children.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,PRO-ED, Inc,SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subject: Biomedical Research - trends / Child / Children / Children & youth / Democracy / Disability / Disability studies / Discourse analysis / Discourses / Education / Education, Special - ethics / Education, Special - standards / Educational Practices / Ethics / Ethics, Professional / Home school relationship / Humans / Inclusion / Justice / Learning Disabilities / Learning disabled children / Learning Disorders - rehabilitation / Outcomes of Education / Parent-Child Relations / Parent-Teacher relationships / Parents & parenting / Politics / Representative democracy / School environment / Schools / Social Justice / Special education / Teachers / Teaching / USA