Abstract
English language learners (ELLs) are a fast-growing and diverse student population in the United States. Students with disabilities and English language learners are significant subgroups in public schools across the United States, with growing numbers on an annual basis. Educating students with disabilities and ELLs requires an advanced level of instruction to meet their unique educational needs. This chapter will identify instructional strategies to support both subgroups while keeping their educational and cultural needs at the forefront. Culturally Responsive Teaching can provide guidance for teachers to specifically meet the needs of dually identified students. Targeted suggestions for professional development were identified for novice teachers and suggestions for future research on dually identified students were provided.
TopBackground
ELLs are a fast-growing and diverse student population in the United States (Artigliere, 2019). Spanish is the dominant language spoken by 75% of ELLs. Across the United States, ELLs make up 10.2% of the total student population (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2021). California, Texas, and Nevada have the most noteworthy enrollment percentages of ELLs, making up more than 10% of the total student population (NCES, 2019a). During the 2019–2020 school year, the number of students ages 3 to 21 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.3 million, or 14% of all public school students. Among students receiving special education services, the most common disability category was specific learning disabilities (NCES, 2021). Students with specific learning disabilities comprised 33% of the total student with disabilities population. Language acquisition skills can be impacted for students who are English language learners with a disability. Oftentimes, students with learning disabilities can be confused as being English language learners if a language other than English is spoken in the home.
ELLs do not have the same English language skills as their peers upon enrollment in US schools (Yoder et al., 2016). Some may have a base knowledge of the English language if they received some English language instruction in their home country. When ELLs enroll in school, students take a language assessment to measure their level of English proficiency (Umansky, 2016). Students who score below a predetermined assessment threshold are considered ELLs (Umansky, 2016). ELLs are then slated to receive specialized academic instruction or English Language Development (ELD) to develop English proficiency.
If the ELL student has a disability, it may be difficult to communicate their true language skills. They may demonstrate a lower language level on the language proficiency assessment (Stinson, 2018). Language acquisition can be challenging for many students. Moreso, when a disability is present. Not all disabilities impact a student’s ability to acquire a second language (Alison et al., 2017). The ease of acquisition depends on the nature and severity of the disability and no two students are alike when it comes to language acquisition (Cheatham & Hart Barnett, 2017). All students with disabilities need to be viewed independently of their disability as related to language acquisition.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A law passed in 1990 to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to resources and services and receive equal treatment.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP): A contract between the district and the family that delineates educational services that will be provided for the student based on their unique needs.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): A federal requirement that allows students with disabilities to be educated alongside non-disabled or typically developing peers as much as possible.
Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT): a pedagogy that primarily focuses on the inclusion of students’ cultural backgrounds in students’ educational experiences.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): One of 13 disability categories used in an educational setting to determine eligibility for special education services. ASD is defined by two categories: impaired social communication and restricted or repetitive behaviors.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): An approach to teaching that gives all students an equal opportunity to succeed.
Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA): Assurance for students with disabilities that they would receive a FAPE in the least restrictive environment.
Inclusive Practices: Providing students with disabilities the opportunity to learn alongside non-disabled peers in a general education classroom.
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD): students whose culture and language differ from the dominant US culture.
Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE): The provision of special education services, individually designed to meet a student’s educational needs.
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional (CLDE): students identified as learning disabled and whose culture and language differ from the dominant US culture.