Language and Cultural Difference vs. a Disability
How do I distinguish the difference between a language and cultural difference versus a disability?
Educators often find it challenging to differentiate between language acquisition and potential learning disabilities. One of the most significant reasons that ELs are often misdiagnosed as having a disability is that some of the disability types, such as emotional and behavioral disabilities, speech impairment, and specific learning disability, are socially constructed categories (Baca, 1990). That is, these disabilities are often diagnosed based on perceptions about how students interact with their environment or, conversely, how the environment interacts with them. By combining evidenced based research around culturally and linguistically responsive practices for instructing, assessing, and evaluating diverse students, educators can develop systems for accurately identifying English Learners eligible for special education services. By identifying the root cause of each student’s challenges, educators can implement the most suitable and effective teaching and learning strategies.
What are some examples of behaviors when considering the influence of a language difference vs a disability?
Example 1: Student does not respond to verbal directions and has consistently demonstrated confusion when given verbal directions in L1 and L2. This may be due to processing deficit or low cognition and could be disorder.
Example 2: Student’s Language performance is like that of their true peers who have comparable cultural and linguistic profiles. This is an example of an indicator of a language difference due to L2 acquisition.
For more information and examples:
Who is a True Peer?
“True peer” represents students who can be used for comparison to the target student; students have similar language proficiency, culture, and experiential background (i.e., age, time in the United States and acculturation in adapting to a new environment, use of L1 and L2 at home, school and community, socioeconomic status, gender, educational programming or language service plan such as dual language instruction, transitional bilingual instruction, ESL services, or sheltered-English instruction)(Brown & Doolittle, 2008).
https://rtinetwork.org/getstarted/sld-identification-toolkit/ld-identification-toolkit-considerations-for-ell#ComparingComparis
What is BICs and CALPS?
How determine the language needs of my English Learner with significant cognitive disabilities?
English learners with disabilities, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, must be able to participate meaningfully in both instruction and assessments. Two major categories of needs must be prioritized for these learners: language-related needs and disability-related needs. It is crucial for educators to consider these needs when developing individualized instructional and assessment solutions for this diverse group of students.
ALTELLA Framework PDF Download
https://altella.wceruw.org/pubs/ALTELLA_Brief-05_Framework.pdf
How do I use a student’s oral language to support instruction?
- Are there trainings available around this topic?
Series with Dr. Julie Esparza Brown
How Can Multilingual Learners and their Teachers Make a Difference in Classroom Assessment?