"We Are Warriors in Ourselves": Voices of Diversity Among Parent Advocates of Children With Down Syndrome

• In Event: Centering Family Perspectives: Dreams and Possibilities of Public Schools

Abstract

This qualitative study sought to explore the advocacy efforts and experiences among caregivers of children with Down syndrome across a range of intersecting identities and social contexts. Guided by the tenets outlined in the DisCrit framework (Annamma, Connor & Ferri, 2018), this study privileged the voices of 9 parent and caregiver advocates of children with Down syndrome, including Black and Hispanic families, families experiencing socioeconomic hardships and families with an additional dis/ability label underrepresented in research studies. Through a systematic inductive and comparative analysis of the data , themes emerged which outlined the processes by which caregivers mobilized to push past deficit-oriented perspectives held by professionals and the community-at-large, centering the value and potential of their children.

Author

• Lydia L Ocasio-Stoutenburg, University of Miami