3: Cultural Reciprocity of Special Education

Introduction:

It is important to consider the culture of the families and students with whom educators work. Culture plays a large role in who a person is and the traditions and practices they believe are important. Language, dress, diet, celebrations, expectations, family roles, morals, and more are all influenced by culture. It is possible for individuals to affiliate with multiple cultures at the same time. Special education, in itself, can be considered a culture. How culturally inclusive is Special Education in the United States and other countries? This chapter will explore these and related topics of Cultural Reciprocity.

Learning Objectives:

By the completion of this chapter, learners should be able to:

• Define cultural identity and provide examples of types of cultures with which one might identify.
• Describe the importance of language (oral, written and sign) to a culture.
• Explain how special education can be a cultural institution.
• Describe how the United States special education system can be incongruent with certain cultures.
• Discuss examples of how the United States special education system can be more culturally inclusive.
• Discuss how the United States special education system compares with those of other countries.
• Describe how the United Nations has impacted special education in recent years.

Vocabulary Words:

Culture – the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic

Disability – A disability is defined by the existing culture to explain why one person is different in a given way than the mainstream.

Special Education - A system of support which is designed to provide education by caring and understanding professionals in a way that works best for a given child.