Distinguishing disability : parents, privilege, and special education /

Through the lens of critical theory, Ong-Dean (Univ. of California, San Diego) examines how parents of varying social class are differently equipped to advocate for their disabled children's rights. To understand why parents' economic and cultural capital has become so important, Ong-Dean chronicles the shift away from legislation seeking broad egalitarian changes in special education to an emphasis on improved technical management of individual disabled children's education. The author bases his findings on a range of sources that include parent surveys and interviews, school district demographics and learning disability diagnosis data, a review of the literature targeting parents of disabled children, and data on the distribution of administrative ("due process") hearings across different demographic types of school districts, with a case study focus on the Los Angeles Unified School District. Ong-Dean helps readers see the tremendous complexity of the role of parents in the education of children with disabilities. The book closes by suggesting a link between the field of disability studies and theories of social reproduction. Also included are suggestions for further research and the parent survey used in the study. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and research faculty. P. M. Del Prado Hill Buffalo State College