Handbook of Critical Special Education

Research, Policy, and Practice

Eric B. Claravall, Amy L. Ferrell

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781040647257
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Educational Policy

The Handbook of Critical Special Education proposes a transformative framework that reimagines special education as dialogic, relational, decolonial, and justice oriented. Critical special education calls for methodological pluralism, epistemic humility, and the integration of social and embodied understandings of disability to dismantle oppressive structures and rebuild education as a site of collective liberation and equity. Across the volume, chapter authors situate critical pedagogy as a critique of traditional special education, problematizing race and power in educational research and practice. The text highlights anti-oppressive education and intersectionality, critiques ableism, and challenges hegemonic educational structures while supporting the centrality of culture as an equally important factor in shaping the minds and the socialization process of children with dis/abilities. It also advocates for visions of justice, equity, and wellness for communities and collectives. Through the lenses of critical pedagogy, cultural studies, and positive psychology, this book provides comprehensive coverage of the reconceptualization of dis/abilities in research, practice, and policy. It is essential reading for scholars, graduate students, and teacher educators in the field of special education.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• About the Editors
• About the Contributors
• Preface
• 1 Introduction to Critical Special Education: Reimagining Epistemological Foundations and Shifting the Paradigm
• Part 1 Agency, Advocacy, and Lived Experience
• Part 2 Intersectional, Critical, and Decolonial Frameworks
• Part 3 Transforming Policy and Practice
• Appendix
• Index