If Only I Had Known...: Young People's Participation in the Construction of Their Learning Disability Labels

This study explores how young people participate in the construction of their learning disabilities and how the experience impacts their self-concept. None of the interviewees in the study participated in the Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) meetings conducted in Ontario. The interviewees did participate in a variety of other forums such as psychological testing, university development centers, and conversations with family members, and teachers. Thematic analysis identified two key concepts that emerge from experiences of disablement in school systems: the importance of knowledge and the construction of identity through experiences in educational settings. A children's rights framework and the new sociology of childhood are used to explore the construction of self-concept for children and young people with disabilities. Further, the nature and timing of children's participation in matters regarding them and their label of exceptionality in the Ontario education system are explored. (Contains 1 table.)