Education Commons^™

Educating Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: The Us Constitution, Citizenship And Disability, Julie Ramirez

Dissertations

This qualitative, design-based research study focuses on teaching citizenship to individuals with intellectual disabilities. The participants were middle school students who communicate in a variety of ways, many of whom don’t use speech. In the State of Illinois, the general education population is required to pass the U.S. Constitution test. However, in spite of a mandate that students with disabilities should have access to the general education curriculum, students with significant intellectual disabilities are not required to learn about the constitution or their rights as citizens. The goal of the research was to meet the needs of all students through …

A Mother's Spiritual Journey With Her Disabled Son: An Autoethnography, Margaret C. Higgins Edd

Dissertations

Abstract

This autoethnographic research delves into a mother’s experiences with her disabled son over thirty-five years. Beginning with a thick description of the crib accident that resulted in physical and cognitive disabilities that profoundly change the course of both mother and son’s life, this research chronicles the search for meaning, community, and healing as they negotiate the realms of medicine, education, career, family, and spirituality. Models of disability that seek to explain various ways in which society often views disability are examined, but none resonate with the researcher’s intimate experiences nor satisfies her deepest needs for insight and healing. Making …