Breaking the Cycle: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Disability-Related Discussions

Abstract

Teacher preparation programs play a seminal role in the development of prospective teachers, as they provide future educators with information regarding the rights of students with disabilities and the pedagogical means to support them in the classroom. Yet, few programs focus on how to discuss disability with students (Abernathy & Taylor, 2009; Cosier & Pearson, 2016). Once they enter into practice, many teachers hesitate to engage students in conversations about disabilities because they are unsure of what to say or fear offending students with disabilities (Crowson & Brandes, 2014; Gay & Howard, 2000). Because there is scant literature on how to best prepare pre-service teachers to hold disability-related discussions in their future classrooms, in this article, the authors aim to fill a void in current practice by providing examples of activities, assessments, and related materials that enable pre-service teachers to talk about disabilities.

Learning From Self-Advocates: Changing Perspectives About Disability

“…Currently, the opportunity to learn from individuals with disabilities is lacking across contexts, including teacher preparation programs, in-service professional development, and community learning events (Bialka et al, 2019; Van der Klift & Kunc, 2013). A Self-Advocate Guest Presenter Series can address and challenge the incoming ableist assumptions of pre- and in-service practitioners by intentionally creating spaces to learn from, and not just about, individuals with disabilities.…”

“…Contact alone does not necessarily result in positive attitudes or actions toward individuals with disabilities. Many practitioners enter teacher preparation programs and school buildings with preconceived views about disability and the capacity of students with ESN (Bialka et al, 2019;Strimel et al, 2023). This is compounded by the fact that the Disability Rights Movement is not typically taught in schools, making people unaware of disability advocates' fight for access, opportunities, and inclusion (Ladau, 2021;Office of Disability Employment Policy, 2009).…”

Raising awareness isn’t enough: The role of the psychology of education in disability-related justice and inclusion in primary classrooms

“…'When I am discussing disabilities with a family member of someone who has a disability, I am always worried that I will say something that will insult them' (p. 733). Coupled with this, few student-teacher courses focus on how to talk about disability with students, meaning that educator confidence in this area is low (Bilka, Hansen & Wong, 2019;. Model), and 10% with 'Disability as a Human Difference' (Social Model).…”

Repositioning Disability in Children’s Picture Books Through Classroom Read-Alouds

“…From this view, a person's activities are limited not by the disability but by societal expectations and perceptions about disability. When teaching this aspect of theme teachers will need to be explicit in their instruction and discussion (Bialka, et al, 2019), because young children may attribute problems a protagonist experiences to their disability rather than to the limitations of societal expectations and perceptions.…”