Diversity and the Mentally Retarded

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that the United States is home to an ever-growing, ever-changing racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious mosaic. The writer also points out that millions of immigrants arrive each year in search of work, and in the hope of finding opportunities and freedoms that are unavailable in their homelands. The writer states that many Americans that suffer from disabilities come from a bewildering array of backgrounds and are in great need of the assistance of others. The writer maintains that those who reach out to the mentally retarded must begin to comprehend, and to make provisions for diverse circumstances and points of view. Learning to deal with diversity, and working with multiculturalism demands a new mindset, an awareness of cultural sensitivities and the concerns of others. The writer discusses that providers of training and care to the mentally retarded must be willing to learn other languages, and to learn about the different cultures in which those requiring special attention are being raised. Attention to issues of multiculturalism and diversity is one of today's primary challenges in assisting the mentally retarded.

From the Paper:

"Similarly, caregivers must attempt to uncover and comprehend other attitudes toward care of the mentally handicapped that may be masked by these traditional family relationship patterns. Perhaps, the desire to keep mentally retarded individuals at home is a symptom of a desire to keep these individuals away from those whom present the potential for harm. A family might now wish to expose a mentally handicapped child to a public school environment because of fears that the child will be taunted or otherwise ostracized. Groups may not trust external caregivers. Despite serious efforts to control for specific biases, minorities are frequently overrepresented in special care environments as the results of culturally biased tests and evaluation procedures."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ajayi, L. J. (2006). Multiple Voices, Multiple Realities: Self-Defined Images of Self among Adolescent Hispanic English Language Learners. Education, 126(3), 468+.
• Block, P., Balcazar, F., & Keys, C. (2001). From Pathology to Power: Rethinking Race, Poverty and Disability. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 12(1), 18.
• Clark, C. T. (2003). Examining the Role of Authoritative Discourse in the Labeling and Unlabeling of a "Learning Disabled" College Learner: This Case Study Explores the Role of Authoritative Discourse in the "Learning Disabled" Labeling of a Student Enrolled in a Literacy Course for Preservice Teachers. the "Unlabeling" Process Involved a Situated Understanding of Learning. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 47(2), 128+.
• Coutinho, M. J., Oswald, D. P., & Best, A. M. (2002). The Influence of Sociodemographics and Gender on the Disproportionate Identification of Minority Students as Having Learning Disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 23(1), 49+.
• Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., & Speece, D. L. (2002). Treatment Validity as a Unifying Construct for Identifying Learning Disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 25(1), 33+.

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