The Role of Multiliteracies in Changing Learning Spaces and Promoting Self-Advocacy for Students with Complex Support Needs

Abstract

Traditional literacy practices using print-based texts exclude students with complex support needs from the full range of literacy activities provided to peers without disabilities, which may limit them to low-level literacy skills or functional skills. By contrast, by including various forms of representation and text, multiliteracies are uniquely positioned to address the literacy development of students with complex support needs. The present study aimed to investigate the changes in student engagement, teacher–student interaction, staff and parent perceptions, and self-advocacy opportunities created during the implementation of multiliteracies with students with complex support needs. In a public high school classroom in northern California with a teacher and six paraeducators, two students with complex support needs created a multimodal book to present as student input at their individualized education program meetings. The book included the students’ favorite images of family and school, videos and images of their favorite activities at home and school, an identity chart with adjectives that best described them, a description of their strengths, and a transition plan describing what they wanted to do after school. Grounded theory was used to analyze the data collected through interviews, observations, and video and audio recordings. Data suggested that multiliteracies’ pedagogy created new learning spaces, empowering teacher–student interactions, and student self-advocacy.