Escaping the cave to dream new dreams: a normative vision for learning disabilities

This essay is predicated on two beliefs: (a) that special educators must critically examine the dominant view of reality undergirding the field of learning disabilities to see the false images built into it, and (b) we must seek a new, empowering vision of the purposes of education as we move into the twenty-first century. The purpose of the article is to analyze how the dominant image of reality in the field of learning 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.