Amanda L. Miller, PhD
College of Education, Wayne State University
I examine how youth with IDD are positioned – as knowledge holders and generators, passive recipients, good, smart – through how adults talk about, to, and with them, and how they are treated
as learners and doers. For example, students with IDD are situated through how school districts provide (or do not) meaningful augmentative and accessible communication systems, supports, and tools to them and their families. Ideological underpinnings
in schools are amplified through how such youth are thought about, talked about, and decisions are made for and about them by adults.
In a recent study, I focused on how six middle- and high school girls of color labeled with significant cognitive disabilities used talk and actions (e.g., eye gazes, facial expressions, gestures) to navigate classroom interactions. I was interested in
how they were positioned – and how they navigated, resisted, and repositioned themselves with few visible supports in a setting that prioritized oral/aural communication. School districts and staff should consider how they position multiply
marginalized youth with their interactions and how such positions result in learning opportunities being afforded and withheld. We need to learn about and honor the experiences these girls are having to truly transform educational policy, practice,
and research.