What is meant by the phrase social construction of disability? What are the implications of this term for assessment and identification of disabilities?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer:
The concept of "social construction of disability" is based on the notion that the social expectations of society define which behaviors are acceptable and which are deviant. When children, whatever the cause or nature of the condition, fail to learn in school or violate the "rules" of the community, they may be determined to be different, deviant, and in need of special education services. Thus, one may consider a disability as a condition that exists only in reference to the degree of adaptability in the applicable social context. The implication of this perspective is that the context in which the individual is expected to function is critical and relevant to the concept of disability. Assessment that does not consider the learner in context may not accurately determine true strengths and needs. Educators need to guard against the tendency to view anyone who is different as, by definition, a person with a disability. The social construction of disability is certainly implicated in the persistent problems related to over-representation of learners from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in special education programs, and the growth in certain judgmental categories (LD, ADHD).