ESCAPING THE CAVE TO DREAM NEW DREAMS - A NORMATIVE VISION FOR LEARNING-DISABILITIES

This essay is predicated on two beliefs: (a) that special educators mu st critically examine the dominant view of reality undergirding the fi eld of learning disabilities to see the false images built into it, an d (b) we must seek a new, empowering vision of the purposes of educati on as we move into the twenty-first century. The purpose of the articl e is to analyze how the dominant image of reality in the field of team ing disabilities is derived from the diagnostic model, and to propose an alternative, normative conception of education that emphasizes the importance of caring, social relatedness, and community participation.