Breaking Down Academic Silos to Better Support Students with Disabilities
When researchers from different fields study students with disabilities, they often work in isolation from each other. Educational psychologists, special education experts, and disability studies scholars each bring valuable perspectives, but they rarely collaborate despite having a shared goal: improving educational experiences for students with disabilities.
This separation creates missed opportunities and sometimes even conflict between academic communities. Special education researchers typically focus on identifying disabilities and developing interventions to help students overcome challenges. Meanwhile, disability studies scholars often view disability as a natural form of human diversity rather than something that needs to be fixed. These different philosophical approaches have led to heated debates about how best to understand and support students.
Different Training, Different Perspectives
The divide partly stems from how professionals in each field are trained. Educational psychologists often move directly from undergraduate studies into doctoral programs without spending significant time in classrooms. Special education researchers, however, usually work as teachers for several years before pursuing advanced degrees. This difference in experience shapes how each group thinks about disability and learning.
These training differences also influence what each field prioritizes. Some special education programs emphasize direct instruction and specific interventions, while others focus more on teacher preparation and collaboration with general education. Educational psychology programs might concentrate on cognitive processes and learning theory. When professionals from these different backgrounds try to work together, they may struggle to find common ground.
The Power of Multiple Identities
Students with disabilities don't experience their disability in isolation from other aspects of their identity. A Black student with a learning disability faces different challenges than a white student with the same diagnosis. Similarly, a student who speaks English as a second language and has autism will have experiences shaped by both language and disability.
This complexity requires researchers to move beyond simple categories. Rather than asking whether too many students of color are placed in special education, scholars need to examine how racism and ableism work together to create barriers for students who belong to multiple marginalized groups.
Moving Beyond Academic Feuds
The author suggests adopting a "post oppositional" approach, which means moving past the adversarial debates that have characterized discussions between special education and disability studies communities. Instead of arguing about whether disability should be prevented or celebrated, researchers could focus on creating educational environments where all students can succeed.
This shift requires acknowledging that both perspectives offer valuable insights. Special education's focus on effective interventions and disability studies' emphasis on acceptance and inclusion can complement rather than contradict each other.
Learning from Other Fields
Educational psychology has recently begun examining its own history and addressing issues of bias and exclusion. The American Psychological Association issued a formal apology for its role in perpetuating racism, marking a significant step toward accountability. This kind of institutional reckoning could serve as a model for other fields.
Special education, the author notes, has not yet engaged in similar self reflection, despite ongoing critiques about its role in reproducing racial and disability based inequities. Professional organizations in special education could follow this example by acknowledging past harms and committing to change.
Centering Student and Family Voices
Too often, research about students with disabilities happens without meaningful input from the students and families who are most affected by policies and practices. Researchers need to prioritize the lived experiences of people who have navigated special education services, particularly those from marginalized communities.
This means using research methods that actively include student and family perspectives rather than simply studying them from the outside. It also requires examining how multiple forms of discrimination intersect to shape educational experiences.
The Path Forward
Creating more inclusive educational systems requires breaking down the barriers between academic disciplines. Educational psychologists, special education researchers, and disability studies scholars each possess knowledge that could benefit the others. By working together and embracing complexity rather than seeking simple answers, these fields can develop more comprehensive approaches to supporting students with disabilities.
This collaboration isn't just an academic exercise. It represents a moral commitment to creating educational systems that recognize and value all forms of human diversity. When researchers move beyond their disciplinary silos and center the voices of those most affected by their work, they can develop more effective and equitable practices that serve all learners.
The challenge now is turning these collaborative ideals into concrete action that transforms how educational institutions understand and support students with disabilities.
Boveda, M. (2025). Embracing complexity: Applying intersectional, post-oppositional approaches to examinations of students with disabilities in educational psychology research. Educational Psychologist, 60(3), 243-250.
