Centering mothers’ perspectives and values on early childhood inclusion through DisCrit Classroom Ecology

The increasing number of students with disabilities in general education settings signifies progress in inclusion; however, it does not alleviate the challenges faced by parents, particularly mothers, who often serve as primary caregivers. This article foregrounds the voices of mothers of multiply-marginalized children to explore their values regarding early childhood inclusion. By utilizing a method of narrative inquiry and Video-Cued Ethnography (VCE), five mothers of children with disabilities—four African-American mothers and one Turkish immigrant mother—were interviewed. Employing DisCrit Classroom Ecology as a theoretical framework, findings revealed that mothers viewed inclusive education experiences as an embodied curriculum fostering mutual understanding among children. They emphasized teachers’ roles in recognizing students’ strengths, the role of the environment, and critiqued controlling practices such as hand-on-hand assistance. They also highlighted the significance of authentic teacher-student relationships in building a caring classroom community within inclusion spaces.