“Parents don’t know they have the option to say no”: the experiences of Caribbean and Latin American parents navigating special education in Ontario

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines ways Latin American and Black Caribbean parents navigate special education programs in Ontario’s education system. Based on qualitative interviews with parents, the findings suggest that racialized immigrant parents must find ways to navigate the system as newcomers while also addressing the intended and unintended effects of special education programs for their children. Parents described the exclusionary processes used in special education assessments and acknowledged that unequal access to resources excluded them from decision-making processes affecting their children’s learning. Using tenets of Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), this article centres on the intersections of race and ability to reveal how the normalcy of whiteness, coupled with systemic ableism embedded in Ontario’s education system, creates barriers for racialized parents who are trying to support their children’s learning. Importantly, newcomer parents must challenge deficit narratives to ensure that their children can access equitable opportunities for academic success.