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The Variables

After collecting these fragmented stories, the next step was to look at the tends...

Key words, phrases, and themes were starting to shape out of the muddled stories and anti-stories. In order to create boundaries, and variables to start mapping, I made a boundaries circle. 

Inside the circle were the key phrases in the stories. Words like "blame", "intervention", "accommodation" and "child success" are central factors to the majority of the stories. Outside of that circle were phrases like "stressful home life" and "parent anger" which all played into the factors within the circle, but were more like sub-categories than highlights.

 

By making this chart, the variables were evolving and changing, but they were also coming into focus. 
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The Tentative Variables
 
Parent Resistance​

This could definitely be a stock. But the most interesting thing was how this resistance manifested. It has two apparent forms. The first is a sense of neglectful, downright denial of the disability. These are the parents who "just don't want to hear it" or are clearly unable to see clear issues with their child's development because of the rose-colored glasses they wear around their child. The second is over-accommodation. These are the parents who see it issue, but don't really see the issue. They are the parents who intervene in counter-productive ways in order to make up for their child when they are not succeeding. 

Teacher & Parent Accommodation

This could both be stocks as well. As teacher accommodation increases, so can teacher exhaustion. And as a student's academic success is slipping, its the both the teachers and the parents responsibility to accommodate that child's extenuating needs in order to maintain their focus and encourage success. 

Agency & Blame

Agency and blame are factors that came up time and time again. The teachers would blame the parents and the institution. The institution would blame the teachers. The parents would blame the teachers. It seemed like no one was really on the same page. With such differing stories, experiences and perspectives, every party is asking similar questions. Who is responsible for the academic failures of a student? What does it mean for a student to qualify as special need or mentally disabled? Who is even allowed to answer or ask those questions? 

CST Intervention

Although this is seen as the "solution" to the issue, the Child Study Team Intervention has its own complications. While it aims to feed a child's disability management, it seems like it isn't quite working as well as it should be. Is this a flaw in the system, or can we primarily blame parent resistance as the obstruction to this process?

Child's Ability to Succeed

This is the final and ultimate goal for all parties; the parents, the teachers and the intervention team. But, if they all have the same goal, what is draining this ability? If the goal is to increase a disabled child's academic success and happiness, what are the systemic failures that negate their efforts? This will be the central point of our mapping.

 

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