Chapter 6: Getting Past Didactic Instruction: Understanding the Literacy Curriculum for Students with Developmental Disabilities in Tanzania

This chapter describes lessons learned from my dissertation research about the literacy curriculum at the Irente Rainbow School in Lushoto, Tanzania, a school for children ages 6-25 with developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disabilities, and hydrocephalus. My research was funded by a Fulbright IIE grant from the United States Department of State.¹ For my dissertation I conducted an ethnographic study of the school during the 2008-2009 academic year. I participated in workshops and daily lessons at the school and also observed all activities. The purpose of my larger dissertation study was to explore how local context and beliefs about disability influenced the ways participants understood their roles at the school and the ways they implemented curriculum. My ethnography provided knowledge about the curriculum and instructional strategies offered by teachers at the school to prepare these students for life in their community after school.