This study applies a Black disability political approach to directly confront the shortcomings of the social model in affirming the communication of Black, disabled African American English (AAE)-speaking preschoolers. In a departure from clinical approaches to effective communication, this study assumes communication breakdowns as a central feature of interaction and explores strategies of repair and negotiation for redefining what makes communication effective.

This study presents two case studies of Black, disabled AAE-speaking 4-year-olds. Their play samples are qualitatively analyzed to determine how they use strategies of repair and negotiation to achieve communicative goals and establish connections with their communication partners.

The Black, disabled AAE-speaking 4-year-olds in this study used a variety of repair and negotiation strategies, including requesting a repair, responding to other-initiated repair requests, self-repair, co-constructing meaning, and seeking assistance. Their use of these strategies does not always fit into clinical frames of defining effective communication. Yet, the children demonstrate an awareness of and engagement with shared goals surrounding interaction and connection.

Centering the languaging practices of multiply-marginalized disabled children is an opportunity for expanding our clinical approaches and our own communication practices to affirm the agency of the children with whom we make meaning.

The data analyzed for the current research are included in this work. Detailed data sets generated during this current research are available upon reasonable request.

Article published online:
14 July 2025

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