Authenticating disability perspectives and advancing inclusive agendas that value disability identity in schools

Abstract

Inclusive programming has traditionally been framed through a medical model with an orientation that is concerned about young people with disabilities functioning aptitudes relative to developmental normative standards. As a result, children and youth with disabilities often experience school and community predominantly through intervention services. This study accesses the narratives of two young men with autism spectrum having experienced separate intervention services delivered outside the regular classroom when attending public school in Nova Scotia, Canada. This research is part of a larger project that explored twelve young men with AS experiences in public school. Their in-depth narratives reveal the importance of authenticating disability voices and locating more meaningful forms of inclusion beyond tiered intervention practices to prevent exclusion and ableist assumptions about their identities.