Research, relationships and making understanding: a look at Brantlinger's Darla and the value of case study research

Abstract

This article examines Brantlinger and colleagues' longitudinal case study Fighting for Darla; Challenges for family care and professional responsibility [Brantlinger, E.A., S.M. Klein, and S.L. Guskin. 1994. Fighting for Darla; Challenges for family care and professional responsibility. New York: Teachers College Press]. I describe how this piece resonated with me as a mother of a boy considered to have significant disabilities and how it informed my practice as an emerging qualitative researcher. I explore the relationship between this form of methodology and the ‘subjects’ agency referring to my own research and others in the humanities. Brantlinger's work here is historical in its documentation of the experience of a teenager with a label of autism who has not been supported in developing conventional communication and who becomes pregnant and has a child. It is illustrative of the unique contributions she made towards understanding the complexities of daily life for families with children with disabilities. Two decades have passed since this study was published and yet the methodology and lessons learned remain important to informing those of us who value the humanity of people with significant disabilities and respect their sense of agency. Finally, the possible implications for the activist researcher, such as Brantlinger, are discussed.