This article explores the growing interest in schools which are aimed at children and young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning (LGBTQ), schools described as LGBTQ-affirming. Schools which target specific groups of students are sometimes viewed as being anti-inclusive because they assign labels to students and…

Students who are quiet while reflecting on information before sharing their thoughts are often mistakenly judged as not participating in class. To better understand how quiet students navigated the space of a Midwestern U.S. suburban classroom, a yearlong action research study was conducted to learn more about student needs and test how adapting…

School tracking creates vast differential learning and schooling opportunities that lead to different academic trajectories. Black adolescents are disproportionally placed in nonhonors tracks possibly compromising their racial and academic identity. Interviews with 20 socioeconomically diverse 12 to 13 year old Black seventh graders revealed that…

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a connective tissue disorder that results in negative health events. It also holds potential for periodic or permanent disability and psychosocial stress. While a diagnosis of EDS can occur at any age, the psychosocial effects of an EDS diagnosis can be especially challenging when symptoms present during…

Partnerships with families in education settings should emphasize their roles as active and engaged co-equal partners. However, common practices in schools are to involve families at school-based events and share information with them about their child's education in a manner that does not promote two-way interactions. The purpose of this paper is…

Trending social media has indicated that there are currently two pandemics: Covid-19 and racism. While this typology and terminology can be critiqued, it is rather clear that the virus and white supremacy are key concerns of social movements in various parts of the world, particularly in nation-states that experienced European colonisation and…

The purpose of this "Equity by Design Research Brief" is to summarize a study by Dr. David Hernández-Saca of student Sophia Cruz's experiences of being labeled with a Learning Disability (LD), and what the meaning of LD was for her. The purpose of the study was to center student voice within the traditional special education field of LD…

The field of English language teaching and learning has long been full of a plethora of acronyms and terms. Those terms that relate to languages and users of languages that are not those privileged or dominant in any given context should be subject to particular scrutiny. The author argues that labels applied to individuals and less dominant…

Using vignettes and interviews, this study examined understanding and awareness of autism, and (a)typical development more broadly, among 32 Somali parents living in the United Kingdom. Results demonstrated that parents of both autistic (n = 16) and non-autistic (n = 16) children were just as likely to identify vignettes of typically developing…

Research suggests that while individuals may self-report positive attitudes towards autism, dehumanising attitudes (seeing another as less than human) may still prevail. This study investigated knowledge, openness and dehumanising attitudes of non-autistic people towards autistic people. A total of 361 participants completed a survey measuring…

Background: Evidence suggests that parents with intellectual disabilities can be "good enough" parents with appropriate support that focuses on the whole family. This paper brings together theories of vulnerability with an ethics of care approach to reflect on challenges for practitioners in supporting parents, drawing upon data from a…

This study examines transitions to school from the standpoint of the work of families. We identify systemic differences constructed through state responses to childhood disability. Based on data from a longitudinal institutional ethnography conducted in Ontario, Canada, these differences illuminate the ways in which ability and disability are…

Relying on a nudge--a simple, non-paternalistic tool that spontaneously triggers behaviours in a volitional, predictable and expected way--as an education instrument, and more particularly relying on social labelling, this paper demonstrates that an extremely frugal protocol can foster children's intentions to behave pro-environmentally. In an…

The present study investigated preservice teachers' self-efficacy in classroom management involving students with symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 137 Chinese preservice teachers were randomly presented with one of four vignettes involving a student character with ADHD symptoms, with manipulations including…

What does it mean to be "smart?" Being identified as intelligent, gifted, or high achieving affords students stimulating experiences, motivating social environments, and advanced educational and career opportunities. However, research has also identified potential negative psychological and social costs to being labeled smart. These are…