Ongoing research has demonstrated that culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students may be disproportionately represented among students with learning disabilities (LDs). The main aim of this research was to identify groups of CLD students at risk for LDs using the achievement criterion. To that end, 158 students participated in the…

Overrepresentation of Dual Language Learners (DLLs) in special education remains a problem even after 40 years of inquiry. One factor is that the U.S. federal government has neither clearly explained the definition of Specific Learning Disability (SLD) nor operationally defined it to identify children for special education services. This lack of…

Students identified as learners with specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) represent almost half of the total special education population. With the high numbers of students identified as SLD, there has also been the concern of over-identification of immigrant students called English language learners (ELLs), which leads to disproportionality in…

Background: The Response to Intervention (RTI) approach involves the use of a dynamic model built around the systematic documentation of students' response to research-based instructional interventions. Although there has been widespread implementation of RTI models for early intervention and in some cases, as a means to identify students with…

Rehabilitation professionals working with students with disabilities and the families of those students face unique challenges in providing inclusive services to special education student populations. There needs to be a focus on adaptive teaching methods that provide quality experience for students with varying disabilities to promote student…

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students often are not overtly aware of their cultures until they find themselves in a different one. The cultural capital students may have accumulated, at times, does not necessarily contextually match the culture of the classroom or school, possibly resulting in diminished returns academically and…

The pursuit of higher education has become increasingly popular among students of many different backgrounds and cultures. As these students embark on higher learning, it is imperative for educators and universities to be culturally sensitive to their differing individualities. "Student Culture and Identity in Higher Education" is an…

This study investigates how state Departments of Education address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students as they relate to the identification of students with a specific learning disability (SLD). A qualitative research design of directed content analysis was used to examine each state's regulatory criteria for SLD, as…

This article is one in a series developed by members of NASP's African American Subcommittee of the Multicultural Affairs Committee for school psychologists and other educators working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student populations. Last month, we introduced the problem of disproportionality in special education in part one…

Verbal and nonverbal measures of higher cognitive functions were used to examine the degree of difference between the thought processes of culturally deprived and learning disabled children. Four groups of 20 subjects (ages 8-10) were studied. Results of both traditional and qualitative scoring differentiated between the two populations. (JW)

The article contains suggestions for assessing and instructing culturally and linguistically different students with special emphasis on ways to distinguish the learning disabled from students who differ due to cultural and linguistic background and the need to focus on students' strengths and previously gained knowledge. (Author/DB)

The article examines reasons for over-referral of language minority students for learning disabilities placement including misinterpretation of problem behaviors stemming from linguistic or cultural differences and stresses the importance of documenting prior interventions to distinguish differences from handicapping conditions. (DB)

Learning disabilities (LD) has been recognized as a category of special education in Taiwanese law since 1984, and policies ensure educational services for children and youth who have LD. The official definition and identification criteria established in Taiwan's laws closely correspond with those of the United States, but practice differs,…

The paper explores several issues which effect the accurate assessment of language and reading disorders and, thus, of discrepancy between expected potential and actual achievement. For related information see EC 132 758-768. (Author)

This article explores differences in language development, experience, and use by various cultures. The paper contends that a lack of understanding of multiple views and the characteristics of various languages can result in both misdiagnosis and inappropriate instruction for many individuals labeled "learning disabled." (Author/JDD)