BLAMING MOTHERS: A DISABILITY PERSPECTIVE.

This Article grew out of my experience as an advocate in the special education system. Too often, I have received phone calls from parents--primarily mothers--who recount the terrible treatment they and their child have received at the hands of their school district. Mothers tell me that they are blamed for their child's challenges in school and accused of lying to teachers or staff. They sometimes tell me that their school district does not carry through with promises made to them concerning their child's education. When I agree to attend a meeting with the mother at the school district, I am surprised when everyone acts so polite and helpful. We soon develop a reasonable educational plan for the child. How can this be, I wonder? Was the mother telling me the truth? Unfortunately, I have come to believe that the mother's recounting of the school district's treatment of her and her child is accurate. With limited available resources, school districts often provide the least possible resources to children with disabilities. And, unfortunately reflecting the larger devaluation of women and mothers in our society, school districts often do not treat mothers with respect when an outsider is not present to observe these meetings. The school district personnel seemingly know their behavior is inappropriate, so they act appropriately when I appear as an advocate. This repeated experience caused me to decide to investigate this phenomenon to better understand it in the context of American law and society. How and why do school districts frequently treat the mothers of children with disabilities so adversely? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]