Language Disabilities in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity offers a new approach to understanding the familiar dilemma of disentangling difficulties in communication for learners developing the language of schooling. The author takes a socio-cultural Vygotskian approach to reinterpret international research in language disabilities, namely specific language impairment, communication difficulties, dyslexia and deafness.

When children with learning challenges are identified, the educational community in the United States diligently applies a well-established model of remediation that has, for the most part, yielded positive results. Research, however, has demonstrated that the American perception of disability may vary from those in Eastern cultures. These cultural differences can play a significant role in the failure to achieve learning success on behalf of children from the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asian (MENASWA) families. It is critical for the school community to recognize and acknowledge these differences and bring them into alignment in order to meet these students’ learning needs. Learning Challenges for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students With Disabilities is an essential reference publication that identifies ways in which CLD families can be involved with schools to help build educators’ cultural competence and explores the idea of disabilities as a social model with a focus on strengths rather than a medical model focused on needs and weaknesses. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics including racial identity, leadership wisdom, and family-school collaboration, this book is ideally designed for educators, principals, administrators, curriculum developers, instructional designers, policymakers, advocates, researchers, academicians, and students.

Discussions surrounding inclusivity have grown exponentially in recent years. In today’s world where diversity, equity, and inclusion are the hot topics in all aspects of society, it is more important than ever to define what it means to be an inclusive society, as well as challenges and potential growth. Those with physical and intellectual disabilities, including vision and hearing impairment, Down syndrome, locomotor disability, and more continue to face challenges of accessibility in their daily lives, especially when facing an increasingly digitalized society. It is crucial that research is brought up to date on the latest assistive technologies, educational practices, work assistance, and online support that can be provided to those classified with a disability. The Research Anthology on Physical and Intellectual Disabilities in an Inclusive Society provides a comprehensive guide of a range of topics relating to myriad aspects, difficulties, and opportunities of becoming a more inclusive society toward those with physical or intellectual disabilities. Covering everything from disabilities in education, sports, marriages, and more, it is essential for psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, psychiatric nurses, clinicians, special education teachers, social workers, hospital administrators, mental health specialists, managers, academicians, rehabilitation centers, researchers, and students who wish to learn more about what it means to be an inclusive society and best practices in order to get there.

As speech-language pathologists care for more clients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds, there is a growing need for strategies to provide successful and appropriate assessment and treatment. While no single source can cover every linguistic and cultural difference, this new text provides specific knowledge on the major cultural and linguistic groups an SLP may encounter, as well as best practices to assess and work effectively with any CLD student or adult. For practicing clinicians and speech-language pathology students alike, this is an excellent resource to help provide the most effective and appropriate services to all clients.

Using an interdisciplinary perspective to discuss the intersection of language development and learning processes, this book summarizes current knowledge and represents the most critical issues regarding early childhood research, policy, and practice related to young bilingual children with disabilities. The book begins with a conceptual framework focusing on the intersection between the fields of early childhood education, bilingual education, and special education. It goes on to review and discuss the role of bilingualism in young children’s development and the experiences of young bilingual children with disabilities in early care and education settings, including issues of eligibility and access to care, instruction, and assessment. The book explores family experiences, teacher preparation, accountability, and policy, ending with recommendations for future research which will inform both policies and practices for the education of young bilingual children with disabilities. This timely volume provides valuable guidance for teachers, administrators, policymakers, and researchers.

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Designed for primary and secondary teachers, this text connects theory to practice while presenting foundational teaching and assessment practices for culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CDLE) students. It examines current and alternative practices, explores the multicultural movement, and brings together foundational information from special education and ELL/bilingual fields to target the specific needs of CDLE students. Practical in nature, the book and its resources include hands-on suggestions for immediate classroom implementation, case studies, examples of authentic student language, and video clips of teachers in action. The book is organized into four main sections: - Understanding student and family backgrounds - Strategies for assessment and planning for instruction - Strategies for content and language acquisition - Strategies for literacy instruction

This unique guide for special education teachers, teachers of English language learners, and other practitioners provides the foundational information needed to determine whether the language difficulties experienced by English language learners (ELLs) result from the processes and stages of learning a second language or from a learning disability (LD). The book addresses the following critical factors in detail: determining whether an ELL's struggles with reading in English are due to LD or language acquisition; characteristics of language acquisition that can mirror LD; different types of ELLS and why these differences are important; considering a student's "opportunity to learn" when determining whether he or she may have LD; common misconceptions and realities about ELLs and the second language acquisition process; ways that learning to read in English as a second or additional language differ from learning to read English as a first language, and how the differences can be confusing for ELLs; how schools can establish structure to facilitate the process of distinguishing between language acquisition and LD; how families are involved in the process; guidelines for determining which ELLs should be referred for evaluation; and what it means to use an ecological framework to determine whether ELLs have LD.

The fifth edition of this bestselling book provides a comprehensive introduction to bilingualism and bilingual education. In a compact and clear style, its 19 chapters cover all the crucial issues in bilingualism at individual, group and national levels. These include: • defining who is bilingual and multilingual • testing language abilities and language use • languages in communities and minority groups • endangered languages • language planning, language revival • the development of bilingualism in infancy and childhood • bilingualism in the family • age and language learning • adult language learning • bilinguals' thinking skills • bilingualism and the brain • theories of bilingualism • types of bilingual education • heritage language education • evaluations of bilingual education • minority language literacy • biliteracy and multiliteracies • effective teaching and learning methods in bilingual classrooms • the effectiveness of bilingual education in the United States • the history of bilingual education in the United States • language minority underachievement • bilingual special education • the assessment of language minority children • Deaf bilinguals • the spread of English as a global language • learning English as a second or third language • language identity and multiple identities • the politics surrounding language minorities and bilingual education • assimilation and pluralism • bilingualism and employment • bilingualism and the internet