Date of Award
2025-03-10
Degree Name
PhD Education for Social Justice
Dissertation Committee
Suzanne Stolz, Ed.D., Chair; Emily Nusbaum, Ph.D., Member
Keywords
inclusive education, disability studies, extensive support needs
Abstract
This dissertation explores the lived experiences of disabled students in inclusive classrooms, with a focus on those participating in extensive support needs (ESN) programs. Intentionally inclusive of students who communicate through diverse methods, including augmentative and alternative communication devices, picture exchange communication systems, American Sign Language, and other nonspoken forms, this phenomenological case study centers the perspectives of students in one middle school’s ESN program through mobile interviews and reflective document analysis. Student perspectives are triangulated through surveys reflecting the perspectives of parents, guardians, and school staff. Grounded in disability studies in education, this study challenges deficit-based approaches to inclusive education, emphasizing the importance of disabled voices in shaping their own educational experiences. By addressing harm perpetuated by the medical model of disability, infantilization, invisibility, and stigma, this project seeks to advance equity and disability justice within the field of education. Findings highlight both the potential and challenges of inclusive education for students with ESN, emphasizing the importance of peer relationships, sensory environments, and staff attitudes, training, and ratios. This research contributes to the field by identifying gaps in current practices while providing a foundation for future efforts to more fully include disabled stakeholders in conversations about their education. Through this exploration, this project advocates for a reimagined approach to inclusive education, one that is truly by and for disabled students, ensuring their rights, voices, and experiences are at the forefront of educational reform.
Document Type
Dissertation: Open Access
Department
Learning and Teaching
Digital USD Citation
Mizel, Tanner, "The Lived Experiences of Disabled Students in Inclusive Classrooms" (2025). Dissertations. 1041.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/1041
Copyright
Copyright held by the author
Included in
Accessibility Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons
