Cultural reciprocity in sociocultural perspective: Adapting the normalization principle for family collaboration

The principle of normalization/social role valorization provides a powerful framework for improving the quality of life of individuals with disabiliti es. However, the principle needs to be adapted to the increasing cultural h eterogeneity of the United States. Decisions about the goals of service pro vision should be informed by two principles: (I) cultural reciprocity, wher eby professionals work in a collaborative manner with families, and (2) a s ociocultural view of learning and development, which targets social rather than individual processes. Findings from a collaborative action research pr oject with culturally diverse families are used to illustrate how professio nals can provide assistance in a family's zone of proximal development, rat her than targeting goals that are normative for the mainstream but not for the family.