Education Commons^™

The Enforcement Of Normalcy In Schools And The Disablement Of Families: Unpacking Master Narratives On Parental Denial, Priya Lalvani

Department of Teaching and Learning Scholarship and Creative Works

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 …