Caregiver Experiences with the Dyslexia Identification Process in a Borderland Community in Texas

This phenomenological study (Moustakas, 1994; Peoples, 2020) uses critical disability theory (Devlin & Pothier, 2006) and intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) as a lens for investigating the experiences of caregivers in a borderland community in Texas during their child's dyslexia identification process. I used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) which has roots in hermeneutic phenomenology (Heidegger, 1971) as a research method to answer the research question, "How do caregivers from minoritized backgrounds in a Texas Borderland community experience the Dyslexia identification process in public schools?" The three caregivers in this study were able to participate through face-to-face and virtual formats, due to the global pandemic that began during data collection for this study. Participants were given the option of expressing their experiences in Spanish, English, or through translanguaging (Garcia & Kleyn, 2016). This study responds to a gap in the literature (Silverstein, 2015; Woodcock, 2020), which thus far had not captured the experiences of caregivers from various socio-economic statuses (SES) who are from mixed race and ethnic and racial groups in Texas. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]