Somnolent Samantha revisited: A study of some factors that affect the construction of the identities of college students with learning disabilities

• In Event: Disability, Pedagogy, Higher Education and Beyond

Abstract

Somnolent Samantha was a fictional character used to portray students with learning disabilities as lazy, unintelligent fakers. This study presents interview data from college students with learning disabilities to determine if there are commonalities in their experiences, attitudes, self-disclosure processes and self-image. Students with learning disabilities were found to be too diverse to represent with a one-dimensional character, but there are some linguistic and social forces that play a powerful role in shaping their varied identities.

Author

• Mark May, Clayton State Univ