Running head: DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Disability Culture and Socialization: How Children with Special Needs are Perceived by
Counselors, Parents, Teachers, and Peers
December 4, 2017
Social & Cultural Diversity in Counseling
Faculty: Janys Murphy
Cody Cox
Prescott College
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Abstract
This paper was to explore the social constructs of disability identity and culture, particularly in
regard to the counseling and teaching professions. The author participates in a service-learning
project at a local school in an exclusive special needs classroom. The persisting problem of
ableism and how it creates a culture amongst those with disabilities is discussed, as well as the
prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in classrooms and its socially-
constructed nature. Although the site in question is an exclusive classroom specifically for
students with special needs, an inclusive education model for special needs students appears to
be most effective in reducing prejudice and discrimination from peers and increasing overall
feelings of self-worth in special needs students. Adequate training for counselors and teachers is
essential in advocating for and helping those with disabilities succeed. They require instruction
in culture, disability, ableism, and related theories as society is increasingly diverse and all
cultural and ethnic groups are represented in disability culture.
2
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Disability Culture and Socialization: How Children with Special Needs are Perceived by
Counselors, Parents, Teachers, and Peers
Introduction
This paper provides an analysis of the socialization of disability culture and perceptions
thereof, especially from the perspectives of the mental health and education professions. The
author engaged in a service-learning opportunity in a special needs classroom at a public school
where he was immersed in a culture with which he had little to no prior experience. This was to
increase a sense of comfort and awareness while working with individuals who identify
differently from the dominant culture.
Two running themes/concepts of this paper are socialization and disability culture.
Socialization is the learning of norms, attitudes, beliefs, and values through interactions with
other people. Disability culture utilizes socialization, but takes it a step further into a more
specific group for those with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. All cultural and ethnic
groups are represented in disability culture (race, gender, religion, social class, et cetera).
Although declining, ableism is still a problem and how it is perceived by counselors, teachers,
parents, and peers is socially-determined. ADHD, specifically, is one of the most prevalent
special needs in classrooms and often goes undiagnosed due to its various forms. Counselors and
teachers should make a concerted effort to get adequate training in cultural diversity, especially
in regard to those with disabilities as all minority groups are represented in disability culture.
They need to be trained to recognize internal symptoms of disability as well as external ones.
3
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Context and Service-Learning Experience
The author’s chosen service-learning site was in a special needs classroom at a public
school, Granite Mountain School, in Prescott, Arizona. This school is considered by the local
school district to be “upper elementary,” catering only to fifth and sixth grades (ages 10 to 12).
The populations served by this school, as to be expected in most public schools, are fairly
diverse. The student body consists of roughly 500 students from the Prescott area, most of which
are either white (Caucasian) or Native American.
There are a handful of special needs programs at this school. Most of these programs are
for “pull-out” students, where the students are present in general education classrooms and are
occasionally taken out of class according to personal needs. In an effort to be fully-immersed in a
culture different from his own, however, the author chose to work in the “Bridges” program.
This program is such that it is independent of and exclusive from other classes, meaning that the
students remain in the same room and with the same teacher for the duration of the day. The
students are identified by general education teachers, counselors, social workers, and school
administrators to be struggling at the highest level compared to other students. They are assigned
to this program until they are considered competent enough to re-enter general education
classrooms. This can take months or years, depending on the student and their individual
progress.
This class consists of nine students, all of which are males. Six of the students are white,
one is Latino, one is of a mixed/unknown race, and one is Native American. The author was
informed that all of these students come from “troubled” backgrounds or unhealthy family
situations (abusive homes, single-parent households, et cetera).
4
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
The Bridges program follows a behavior-learning regimen set by Boys Town, a non-
profit organization headquartered in Nebraska whose mission is to “[change] the way America
cares for children, families, and communities…” (Boys Town, 2017). School officials have
determined that the students in the Bridges program are most deficient in the skills required to
get along with others, follow directions, and communicate properly with their peers and adults.
The primary focus in Granite Mountain School using Boys Town in this classroom is to help the
students develop these skills. Academics are incorporated into the daily schedule, but done so at
a minimum.
The author’s role in the classroom was that of a teacher aide. In a general education
classroom, it is usually considered adequate to have just one adult supervise a class of thirty.
However, in the Bridges program, misbehavior is often so prevalent that aides are required to
help with keeping students from harming themselves or others, and to keep them on-task. The
author’s contribution was both needed and appreciated in this context. The adults in the
classroom consisted of one head teacher, two full-time aides, and one part-time aide (the author).
When everyone was present in the classroom, there was roughly one adult for every two
students.
In this service-learning experience, the author observed variations of distress among the
students. It is to be expected that behaviors and personal problems will change from day-to-day
according to a myriad of factors such as psychosocial, economic, cognitive, nutritional, and
environmental influences (Chinn, 2010). Because of this, the author’s success in learning about a
disability culture varied according to the behavior of the students and some days appeared to be
more productive than others. Because the students were excluded from the general education
program, they did not appear to have much of an awareness of being different from the dominant
5
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
culture, nor were they motivated to exit the program as they seemed comfortable being with
students who shared various disabilities.
Socially speaking, the students seemed to respond immediately to each other’s behaviors
or misbehaviors. If one student became particularly disruptive, most of the others would join in.
Conversely, if the class was generally quiet, it would tend to stay that way for the rest of the day.
On occasion, the head teacher would play soft classical music for the students as they worked
independently. This proved to calm the students and to help them stay focused.
Another simple, but effective therapeutic approach was to escort one student at a time
outside and walk around the track for at least one lap. This was particularly effective for one
student as he often overreacted to encounters with peers and adults. If he came back into the
classroom feeling calm, the rest of the class would behave accordingly. Ironically, this student
also had the self-awareness to retreat to the “de-escalation room” on his own accord. This room
was a small, padded room adjacent to the classroom where students would go to calm down and
to be alone for a few minutes. In some cases, this was also used to keep dangerous students from
harming others.
A rewards system was put in place to encourage students to improve their behavior. This
system emulated a fairly realistic representation of a modern economy. The students would earn
points (currency) each day according to merit, and points would be deducted for misbehavior. At
the end of each day, the teacher and aides would “check the students out,” which consisted of an
accounting of the student’s behavior. Most students would ultimately accumulate enough points
throughout the day to “purchase” a reward. Available rewards varied, but the most commonly
sought after were snacks, drinks, computer time, and flexible seating (the option to freely move
around the room the following school day). Other rewards, mostly toys, were offered at a much
6
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
higher price, although the author observed that none of the students were interested in saving
their points over the course of several days to buy a larger reward. That is, they seemed to be
most interested in the rewards of lowest value which could be obtained easily and frequently.
Cultural Deficit Theory is defined as the expectation of minoritized groups to perpetuate
their own lack of achievement in society due to a deficiency in the cultural values necessary for
progress (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2012). Because the students in the Bridges class do not perceive
value in delayed gratification, it is likely (but not certain) that this behavior will continue into
adulthood, leading to poor life decisions and a relatively low standard of living (Cheng, Shein, &
Chiou, 2012). The desire for instant gratification is likely to be a product of socialization,
meaning that it is a norm learned from other people within a cultural group (McAuliffe et al.,
2013).
Integration of Current Research
Disability culture is one that largely goes unnoticed (Riddell & Watson, 2014). However,
there are records of those with disabilities having experienced types of oppression or
discrimination. Brown (2015) shares the following story in his article, Disability Culture and the
ADA:
When the academic year ended in spring 1982, there was still no job in sight. I sat at
home, married, with a young daughter, wondering what to do, when my department chair
called and asked if I would be interested in writing a history of a company in Tulsa. I
jumped at this chance to have a job and feed my family. To make a long--and much
written about--story as short as possible, I did not get the job. I was informed on a 45-
minute phone call, after being verbally hired, that this company did not believe I could
7
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
write a book because I used crutches. To add insult to this injury, my contact at the
company told me perhaps if I had the physique of a football player I would have the
stamina to write this book, but since my then 6'4," 160-pound (at best) frame did not
resemble that of a football player, I could not do the job. Insulted, dismayed, and angry, I
endeavored to fight this affront. But I could not. No law banned this discrimination.
This is an example of ableism, which is defined as a system of oppression toward people
who have cognitive, psychiatric, emotional, and physical disabilities (McAuliffe et al., 2013).
Most would agree that such mistreatment continues today, although now more discreetly due to
new laws and an overall increased awareness. The overall public view of disability culture is
improving, but job opportunities for those specifically with intellectual disabilities is not likely to
improve without increased awareness and cooperation from the dominant group (Lysaght,
Ouellette-Kuntz, & Lin, 2010). Brown continues his article discussing the implementation of the
Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, which does not directly address disability culture, but
helps to alleviate discrimination problems in public contexts (2015).
The six most common special needs in classrooms today are: attention deficit
disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), autism or Asperger syndrome,
dyslexia, physical disability, speech/language disorder, and dyspraxia (Chinn, 2010). While none
of the students in the Bridges program at Granite Mountain School showed substantial evidence
of physical or sensory disabilities, health, psychological, intellectual, and learning disabilities
were apparent. There was a noticeable prevalence of attention deficit among the students, which
McAuliffe et al. (2013) claim is often included under the category of health disabilities. The
author noted that this attention deficit was manifested in both hyperactivity and inattention.
8
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
In children, ADHD is most often diagnosed among males rather than females, but there is
some research suggesting that females are under-diagnosed due to the tendency of females to be
less likely to show external manifestations such as disruptive behavior and speaking out (Chinn,
2010). This is an indicator of why the Bridges classroom typically houses male students.
Research suggests that symptoms of ADHD in school settings are indicators of ADHD in home
settings as well, and teachers’ perceptions of such a students’ home life are typically negative,
gathering that students with ADHD most likely come from parents who also have ADHD (Burns
& Becker, 2017; Lawrence, Estrada, & McCormick, 2017). Counselors should be aware of less
obvious symptoms of ADHD, especially in females and parents, and intervene appropriately.
Rohde et al. (2005) attempted to determine whether ADHD is best described as having
biological origins or if it is a social construct. They concluded that ADHD, being largely
subjective, is socially constructed because of variations in expectation and tolerance; what is
considered “normal” is determined by a given culture. This brings to question whether the
author’s perceived observation of the students in the Bridges classroom having an attention
deficit is valid. The author noted that the Bridges head teacher did not appear to have a negative
perception of the students’ disabilities in the classroom, which can vary from person to person,
based on the teacher’s individual socialization and gender of the student (Lawrence et al., 2017).
If ADHD is socially constructed, then that would mean that the students are just children being
themselves, and are not merely their assumed diagnosis. However, research champions that
dangerous and unproductive behaviors can be corrected, if done in preschool years (Okechukwu,
2013; Weiland, 2016).
9
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Many have suggested the idea that having special needs is really just a variation of what
is normal, as opposed to having a specific medical condition (Chinn, 2010). This parallels the
idea of the Social/Minority Model (McAuliffe et al., 2013). One study quoted a master’s-
prepared teacher in regard to ADHD:
The definition that I kind of operate from is one in which, not that the child is not
attentive, but that the child is too attentive, in that everything stimulates their brain…I
think that everything can kind of capture their mind… (Lawrence et al., 2017)
It is common in public schools, both in the United States and worldwide, to engage in an
inclusive education model. This is where special needs students are included in general education
classrooms only to be pulled out occasionally for specialized interventions (Goncalves & Lemos,
2014; Marin, 2014). While Granite Mountain School does participate in inclusive education to a
degree, the Bridges program is exclusive because the students are considered to have the highest
need for individual attention and occasionally pose a physical threat to other students and
themselves.
Although they may vary by both personal and social influences, the attitudes of peers
(those who are not considered to have special needs) toward those in exclusive special needs
programs tend to be more negative. This is due to the fact that there is limited regular contact
between the groups, which additionally limits the instance of acculturation, or the minority group
taking on characteristics of the dominant culture (Goncalves & Lemos, 2013; McAuliffe et al.,
2013). The isolation from general education programs leads to social exclusion, which is the
process by which individuals are blocked from or otherwise unable to attain rights, opportunities,
and resources for a better life such as employment and education (Riddell and Watson, 2003).
10
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
This also contributes to the aforementioned cultural deficit theory. If there was no concern for
extreme misbehavior and possible danger to other students, the Bridges students would
assimilate best in general education classrooms where they would receive more positive
treatment from peers and have a better overall chance of success as adults.
Both counselors and teachers are increasingly expected to be culturally-competent,
meaning that they need to be properly prepared to work with clients/students from diverse
backgrounds, to be aware of, and to appropriately address those who are at a disadvantage.
According to a study performed by Marin (2014), most general education teachers feel that they
need additional training to work in an inclusive school system as their general teacher education
does not provide the skills necessary to work with students of special needs. This creates an
interaction strain for many teachers (and can be applied to counselors, parents, and peers as
well), which occurs when a person without a disability experiences anxiety due to a lack of
knowing the appropriate way to treat those with disabilities (McAuliffe, et al., 2013). The
majority of teachers learn about ADHD exclusively from informal sources, and when special
needs training is provided in a formal context, it is frequently limited only to the autism spectrum
(Lawrence et al., 2017).
Parents of special needs children also identify with a lack of training on how best to
approach disabilities. One study showed that these parents often have feelings of hopelessness
and depression; these conditions are relieved with training that provides care techniques,
especially solution-oriented, comprehensive, and holistic approaches (Akdogan, 2016).
Okechukwu (2013) offers some strategies for teachers of special needs students, but these
can also be helpful for counselors and parents of children in the same group. Such strategies
11
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
include using assistive technology, helping the student make connections with prior knowledge,
providing ample feedback, graphic organizers/visual aids, cooperative learning (working with
peers), and creative assessments (offering alternatives to standardized tests, such as making
models and giving performances).
Discussion
People with disabilities have inadvertently formed a culture where there is a sense of
comradery for feeling discriminated against and having a lack of access to resources to help them
find success. One major aspect of disability culture is ableism, where those with disabilities are
discriminated against for being disabled. At Granite Mountain School, the students in the
Bridges class do not yet show evidence of having awareness of ableism, but it is likely that their
awareness will increase with experience.
Our society is steadily moving toward a culture that embraces differences rather than
seeing a disability as being something that needs to be corrected. This challenges the idea that
disability is an ailment, and suggests that it is just a variation of normalcy. The Bridges class
does appear to have their own sense of what is normal, as no single student particularly stands
out from the rest of the class.
ADHD is one of the most common special needs in public schools, which was a prevalent
feature of the students in the Bridges class. Contrary to the author’s original thoughts, ADHD is
determined to be socially constructed. That is, one is socialized to view it as being problematic.
All of the students are currently male, but they are open to having females in the class, if needed.
It is likely that some females in the school would benefit from the Bridges program, but teachers,
staff, and parents do not recognize any outward symptoms to warrant placing them in the
12
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
program as it is more common for males to show these manifestations. Counselors, teachers, and
parents need to be alert to internal symptoms of attention deficit (rather than just external
symptoms, such as disruptive behavior, speaking out, et cetera) as many people go undiagnosed.
The inclusive education model has been shown by many studies to promote feelings of
self-worth in the special needs students and also more positive perceptions from peers. Most
public schools around the world are transitioning into an inclusive model. Counselors and
teachers can help those with disabilities by fostering a feeling of inclusion.
Conclusion
The purpose of this paper was to examine the social constructs around disability culture
to better inform helping professionals, particularly those in mental health and education
professions. Counselors and teachers need to be adequately prepared for an increasingly diverse
population, particularly for a growing prevalence of those with disabilities. Disability culture
includes all races, religions, ages, genders, and social classes. In addition to other forms of
discrimination, ableism is one that is often overlooked, and counselors and teachers need to
check their biases and make every effort to increase awareness of those with disabilities and the
struggles they face.
13
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
References
Akdogan, R. (2016). A holistic approach to cope with depression and hopelessness for parents of
special needs children. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 8(2),
134-150. doi:10.20489/intjecse.284594
Brown, S. E. (2015). Disability culture and the ADA. Disability Studies Quarterly, 35(3).
Burns, G.L., & Becker, S.P. (2017). Sluggish cognitive tempo and attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) inattention in the home and school contexts: Parent and teacher
invariance and cross-setting validity. Psychological Assessment, 29(2), 209-220.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pas0000325
Boys Town (2017). Boys town: Saving children, healing families. Retrieved
from: http://www.boystown.org/about/Pages/default.aspx
Cheng, Y., Shein, P.P., Chiou, W. (2012). Escaping the impulse to immediate gratification: The
prospect concept promotes a future-oriented mindset, prompting an inclination towards
delayed gratification. British Journal of Psychology, 103, 129-141. doi:10.1111/j.2044-
8295.2011.02067.x
Chinn, S. (2010). Addressing the unproductive classroom behaviours of students with special
needs. London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Goncalves, T., & Lemos, M. (2014). Personal and social factors influencing students’ attitudes
towards peers with special needs. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 112, 949-
955. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.1253
14
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Lawrence, K., Estrada, R., & McCormick, J. (2017). Teachers’ experiences with and perceptions
of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 36,
141-148. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2017.06.010
Lysaght, R., Ouellete-Kuntz, H., & Lin, C. (2010). Untapped potential: Perspectives on the
employment of people with intellectual disability. IOS Press, 41, 409-422.
doi:10.3233/WOR-2012-1318
Marin, E. (2014). Are today’s general education teachers prepared to face inclusion in the
classroom? Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 142, 702-707.
McAuliffe, G. (2013). Culturally alert counseling: a comprehensive introduction (2nd ed.). Los
Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
Okechukwu, F.O. (2016). Special needs children acquisition of knowledge. International
Journal of Institute of African Studies.
Riddell, S., & Watson, N. (2014). Disability, culture and identity. New York, NY: Rutledge.
Rohde, L.A., Szobot, C., Polanczyk, G., Schmitz, M., Martins, S., & Tramontina, S. (2005).
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a diverse culture: Do research and clinical
findings support the notion of a cultural construct for the disorder? Biol Psychiatry, 57,
1436-1441. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.01.042
Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. J. (2012). Is everyone really equal? An introduction to key concepts
in social justice education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
15
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Weiland, C. (2016). Impacts of the Boston prekindergarten program on the school readiness of
young children with special needs. Developmental Psychology, 52(11), 1763-1776.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dev0000168
16
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Appendix A: Service-Learning Reflection Journal
At the start of my service-learning project, I feel very apprehensive as I am introverted
and do not do well working in groups of people or noisy environments. Because I am new to my
city and know very little about what is available in the area, I struggled to find an appropriate
service-learning site. I found online research and talking with a few locals to be fairly
unhelpful. The area is very conservative and Christian. The small amount of racial diversity
consists of mostly whites, a group of Native Americans, and few Latin Americans. Having lived
on a Native American reservation for one year, I knew that working with Native Americans
would not be a new experience for me. I opted to work at Granite Mountain School in the special
needs (or what they call “bridges”) classroom as I felt that this would provide the most exposure
to a population that I have very little experience with. I will be helping with day-to-day activities
in the classroom as the nature of the class requires a lot of adult supervision.
During my first week at the school, I was overwhelmed and very stressed out. My first
impression upon walking into the classroom was, “I do not belong here.” One student was
running around uncontrollably, another student was making fun of my name, and the others
were, thankfully, sitting in their desks, although not very well on-task.
The class consists of only about seven or eight students. Racially speaking, about half of
them are white and the other half are mixed races. They are all boys, although I was told that
they occasionally get girls in the class, too. It is interesting to me that girls are rarely in need of
such special attention at school, which is something I intend to study more later on. They all
come from “broken homes,” meaning that their family/home situation is not considered to be
normal or healthy.
The class follows a program called “Boys Town.” This program is primarily for
17
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
residential school programs across the country, but some school districts (such as this one) adopt
their principles and employ them in special needs settings. The idea of the program is mainly to
teach the students social skills, as the teachers and administrators have determined that these
students are severely lacking in the ability to communicate appropriately with other people and
behave in a civilized manner. Students are in this classroom full-time until the teacher
determines that their social competency is enough that they can re-enter the general education
program. This can take several months or even years. I do feel a bit uncomfortable about this
program as it suggests that these children are not acceptable the way they are and that we are
trying to force them into a mainstream ideal.
I learned my first week that I am not at all assertive. I really struggle to discipline
someone else’s children, partly because I do not know the school or the particular classroom
rules that are already established and I do not want to contradict them and confuse the students. I
also feel that my philosophy in dealing with children is fairly unorthodox and probably would
not be considered appropriate for a public-school setting as my view is more in line with holistic
and individualized educational experiences. Because my wife is a 6th grade teacher and because
I studied sociology for my undergraduate degree, we talk a lot about the ideal alternative
education and things that need to be changed for a better future. If I had my own children, I
know that I could be assertive and more confident. However, in a public setting, I do not want to
get myself into trouble with false accusations that we so often hear about in the news (especially
in regard to adult males).
The first week, I was merely supervising and observing while I was still learning about
the students and about the program. The stress level in the classroom varies by the day. I am
most interested in these students’ personal lives and where they get their culture and
18
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
worldview. I am learning students’ names and of their home situation. At least one student lives
in a homeless shelter. Another student is in Prescott in hiding from his biological father because
his father threatened to kill himself and his child. Another student is a “crack baby.” This makes
me feel a bit helpless because I wish I could do more for these children, but I am not legally able
to do so. This kind of makes me wish I went into social work, but even then, I recognize that my
hands would be tied. The second day was better than the first because the students were better-
behaved. They have an incentive program for good behavior where they can earn snacks and
computer time at the end of each day. I worry about the snacks that are offered as they are far
from being healthy (candy, sugary drinks, and chips) and most undoubtedly contribute to their
poor behavior and poor performance. That may be why the teacher decided not to offer the
snacks until right before school lets out for the day, but then I wonder how this affects their
home life when they do leave the school.
So far, the students seem to generally have the same culture. This is to be expected at this
age (9-11) as children tend to mimic each other’s values and behavior as a means of fitting in and
making friends. This is probably also an example of acculturation, although given by their
speech and the way they dress, I still do not observe an indication that any of these children have
a different culture at home. This does make it more difficult for me to assess their personal
situations and how they perceive the world. It seems that if we were in a more urban setting with
more minorities, some of the students would retain their ethnic roots a little more and it would be
more obvious.
In the second week, I began helping the students with academic work, which means that I
am working more with them one-on-one. I found that this was much better for me than
supervising as I do not feel so overwhelmed anymore and I am able to get to know the children
19
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
individually. There was one student who had some behavioral issues so bad that I had to call the
school counselor and the student had to be put into a padded room for a couple of hours, which is
adjacent to the classroom. I was a little surprised that they lock students in this room, but I see no
alternative when the student is harming his/herself or others. This room is also used for students
who are over-stimulated and need a quiet break away from their classmates. I do personally find
the desire to use it on occasion.
The third week started out as a struggle because a couple of the students were
uncooperative. One was beating his laptop because he could not remember his password; I’m
surprised that the computer did not break. Another student was just sitting at his desk with a
blank stare. I was asked to help him with his work, but even though he had his worksheet in front
of him and had the answer pulled up on his computer screen, he refused to write it down. I could
not help but think that this is probably how it is with some clients in a counseling setting; they
come to the session, they bring any relevant materials to what was previously discussed, yet they
do not try. I am sure I will learn how to deal with people like this in another counseling class, but
I am wondering the best way to get someone motivated who seems to be ignoring me. Because it
was Monday, I wonder if something happened to him over the weekend. One of the aides told
me that he really struggles with an attention deficit, although before now, he seemed to be very
on-task.
My last two days at the site were easier. This seems to be attributed to the fact that I am
now more familiar with the classroom rules and procedures, that the students know who I am and
are beginning to trust me, and also because more students were absent. The higher adult-to-
student ratio means that the class was more in control, however, I still feel uneasy about the idea
of mainstreaming students into what some perceive as the ideal. I agree that everyone should
20
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
respect each other, but I struggle to identify with the idea that each student should follow a one-
size-fits-all curriculum rather than one that is tailored more to their individual interests and
talents.
I look back at this experience and see how I have grown. The purpose of this assignment
was to deepen my understanding of a culture or cultures different from my own. I feel that I
succeeded in this purpose as I have observed students who, although some of them share the
same race as me, identify differently with the way they view life. It has been interesting to see
what it is like for these students to struggle through school with their disability or
disabilities. The empathy I gained for these students is astounding as I noticed students trying
with a concerted effort to do well only to fall short of what is considered satisfactory. I gathered
that not all of these students have a particular psychiatric diagnosis, but they do all come from
troubled backgrounds, meaning that their family life is considered to be unstable in some
fashion. Their lack of stability at home does seem to adversely affect their performance at school
and also how they interact with others.
I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with some students individually
as it helped me get to know them more personally. This also taught me how to interact with them
in such a way to more effectively make them feel appreciated and to meet their needs. I worked
with one student in particular quite frequently and came to better understand his attention
deficit. For the most part, he was well-behaved, but most often not on-task. This meant that I had
to sit next to him and walk him through his assignments, step-by-step. It was difficult to assess
internal negative influences on his ability to focus as it did not seem appropriate to ask him
personal questions. However, external negative influences seemed abundant: auditory stimuli,
visual stimuli, and social influences.
21
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
I did not get to know the other students nearly as well, but observed that some had anger
issues, some with low self-esteem, and one or two who were generally kind and well-behaved. I
noticed that when someone got noisy or misbehaved in the classroom, others would join
in. Conversely, when the classroom was quiet, most or all of the students would remain that
way. It seemed particularly helpful when the teacher would play soft classical music. There was
a noticeable difference in the students’ ability to focus and the way they interacted with each
other.
Overall, I found this assignment to be both enriching and very challenging. My chosen
service-learning site presented a myriad of cultural exposure. Some cultures were difficult to
distinguish from others in this context, but the experience opened my eyes to cultural differences,
nonetheless. The most prevalent culture was that of children with academic and social disabilities
in general, but I recognize that many other cultural values and social influences can affect each
of these children. I would have liked to have gone deeper into understanding the students
individually and their personal and family situations as this would have helped me more clearly
understand where they were coming from. I was afforded some confidential information which I
was purposely vague about including in this paper. Because this was in a public-school context
and because I was not a paid professional with the school district, it did not seem appropriate to
pry for more information.
Following this experience, I notice that I have gained a new interest in understanding the
lives of others, which I predict will serve me greatly in the counseling profession. My ability to
empathize has grown and I expect even more growth as I continue in my studies and my
experience in a counseling context.
22
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Appendix B: “Thank You” Letter to the Site Supervisors
23
DISABILITY CULTURE AND SOCIALIZATION
Appendix C: Service Hours Log
24