“I Draw Mommy Right Here . . . Wearing Mask”: Care, Criticality, and Crip Linguistics Through Early Childhood Literacy

The intersecting crises of 2020 had profound impacts on disabled young children. Existing literature has centered on the challenges disabled children faced and the interventions they needed. Few studies have offered counternarratives that showcase their critical insights, playful interactions, or relational meaning making. In this qualitative case study, we explored how disabled young children and their caregivers used language and literacy as they processed converging social crises. Drawing on critical childhood studies and crip linguistics, we share findings from analyses of virtual art/writing workshops. We highlight how children and caregivers recognized one another’s meaning making, co-constructed spaces for refusal, and navigated fantasy and reality together. Out findings contribute to literature on early childhood education, literacy studies, and disability studies in education.