Webcast2011

Separating Differences & Disabilities: Special Needs

among EAL/ELLDr. Catherine Collier

[email protected]

A Webcast December 2011

© 2011 Dr. Catherine CollierAll Rights Reserved

[email protected]

Dr. Catherine Collier

CrossCultural Developmental Education Services


Alphabet Soup!

ADDCLDCLDEELELDELLESL

IDIEPLEPLDNNESELSLD


The Bottom Line

CLD/LEP must be able to participate effectively (at or near peer) in all programs

and content areas.


Definitions

The concept of things that particular people use as models of perceiving, relating, and interpreting their environment.

The process by which individuals perceive, relate to, and interpret their environment.

Difficulty in perceiving and manipulating patterns in the environment, whether patterns of sounds, symbols, numbers, or behaviors.

CognitionLearning Disability

Culture


But avoid stereotyping!

Sometimes it is easier to understand culturally diverse families in terms of group attributes. But individual families are constantly negotiating their identity and their culture within their peer groups and their community culture is not static.


StereotypesRacism & cultural bias

• Lazy, slacker• Always trying to get out

of work• Much smarter/capable

than others

Ableism• Holding up traffic• Taking attention away

from others• Always trying to get out

of work


Stereotypes continued

Language & dialect• Not as intelligent• Doesn’t want to learn

to read• If she can’t speak, she

doesn’t understand what I am saying

Expectations


Expectations

CollegesK-12 schoolsResettlement Services


Expectations

CommunityFamilies


Yes or No? Are These Disabilities?

• Use of words with incorrect meaning.

• Incorrect use of plural.• Lack of enunciation of apostrophes

and “s” to indicate possession.• Use of incorrect referent-pronoun

agreement.• Incorrect use of articles and

incorrect agreement with noun.• Omission of preposition and use of

“in” when “on” is needed, etc.• Incorrect word order or verb

misplaced.

So, what do you think?


Disability - Legality

Disability cannot be measured solely on the ability to do certain tasks.Disability depends also on the ease with which they perform activities that are of central importance to most people’s daily lives.The disability must also be permanent or long-lasting.

O’Conner, U.S. Supreme Court (2002)


K-12 US ConcernsAre academic growth rates comparable between ELL and non-ELL populations?Can they ever test out of ESL if they are Sped?How do you know the difference between a language barrier and a language disability? What are the signs of each and how are they different?Can ELL students receive help from both resource and ELL programs?


K-12 Canada Concerns

How does Student Services fit into the EAL/ESL world: roles, assessment, how to help, when it’s more than EAL/ESL?How can we improve our resources so that we can assess children in their first language?How do you identify low English language abilities students with suspected learning disabilities in a timely manner?How long do students need to be exposed to English before we would expect fluency?


Adult & IEP Teacher Concerns

What’s going on with this student?Where can he go for help?What can I do about it?Is there a way to prepare ahead?How can I prepare him for what he will face at our college?

Background Knowledge


Disproportionality for EAL/ELL 2010

Underrepresented in special education overallOverrepresented in specific categories:

• Speech/language Impairments (SI)

• Learning Disabilities (LD)

• LD/SI combination


source: 2010 MSP/HSPE Student W file

All students testing Not ELL ELLNo Disabilities 87% 82%Disability identified 13% 18%Total Number of Students 565,368 39,651 Special Education Identified Not ELL ELL01 Developmental Delays 0% 1%02 Emotional-Behavioral 5% 1%03 Orthopedic Impairment 0% 0%04 Health Impairment 23% 7%05 Specific Learning Disability 44% 71%06 Mental Retardation 4% 4%07 Multiple Disabilities 2% 0%08 Deafness 0% 0%09 Hearing Impairment 1% 1%10 Visual Impairment 0% 0%11 Deaf-Blindness 0% 0%12 Communication Disorders 14% 13%13 Autism 6% 1%14 Traumatic Brain Injury 0% 0%Total 100% 100%Number Special Ed Students

75,102 7,243

Not ELL ELL

12.9%

5.8%

Percent of Total Students Identified as SLDs


True or False?

Students in English immersion programs are referred at higher rates than those in bilingual programs.


True or False?

ELLs whose parents have opted out of ESOL are the most likely to be referred and placed in Special Education.


THE BASICS OF BEING HUMAN Sensory abilities, linguistic wiring, genetic and biologic

heritage, innate abilities, etc.

ENCULTURATIONPerceptions, social and behavior patterns,

language, values, etc. learned from caregivers.

ACCULTURATIONPerceptions, social & behavior patterns,

language, etc. learned from interaction with new group(s).

INDIVIDUALUnique experiences,

insights, personal reflections.

Ways we are less like other people.

Ways we are more like other

people.

Communicative, ADD/ADHD

Behavioral, linguistic, cognitive, PDD

Organic, physical, motor, sensory, neurological


Common Side-Effects Of the Acculturation Process

Heightened AnxietyConfusion in Locus of ControlWithdrawalSilence/unresponsivenessResponse FatigueCode-switchingDistractibilityResistance to ChangeDisorientationStress Related Behaviors

Culture Shock


The Intensity of CultureShock is Cyclical

AnticipationPhase

SpectatorPhase

IncreasingParticipationPhase

ShockPhase

AdaptationPhase

AnticipationPhase

SpectatorPhase

IncreasingParticipationPhase

ShockPhase

AdaptationPhase

Highly Engaged Level

ModeratelyEngagedLevel

Normal Intensity of Emotions

ModeratelyDepressedLevel

Greatly Depressed Level


Estar Nepantla


Why do they do that?E R R O R I N E N G L I S H P O S S E S S I V E F O R M S

No marker for possessive forms: “my friend’s house”

• “house my friend”

Avoid use of ‘s to describe possession: “my sister’s children”

• “the children of my sister”

N O N E N G L I S H L A N G U A G E

Khmer, Vietnamese• A noun’s owner comes

after the object

Navajo, Apache• Only specific things can

be “possessed” or “owned”

Hmong, Spanish, Tagalog• Use of a prepositional

phrase to express possession reflects a more common structure


True or False?

Parents of CLD students, with and without exceptionalities, should speak with their children at home in English in order to increase the child’s exposure to the second language.


True or False?

Students with special needs cannot learn two (or more) languages.


True or False?

Acquiring more than one language is “difficult” and can lead to academic problems. For this reason, all energy should be spent on having CLD students focus on English, and further natal language development should be halted.


You never know where you’ll end up.

Recommended Process


Five Things that Work in Intervention for EL

1. Adequate Professional Knowledge

2. Effective Instruction3. Valid Assessments &

Interventions4. Collaboration Between

District Departments5. Clear Policies


7 Steps for Separating Difference & Disability

Step 1 Building & Sustaining a Foundation for LearningStep 2 Establishing & Supporting ResiliencyStep 3 Instructional Intervention & Differentiated InstructionStep 4 Intensive Intervention & Progress MonitoringStep 5 Resolution or ReferralStep 6 Integrated Services & Cross-cultural IEPsStep 7 Maintaining Staff & Programs Serving CLDE


PRISIM: Building the Foundation of the Pyramid

Systems & policies promote and sustain:

• Access to safety, food, clothing, & shelter

• Quality preparation of effective education professionals & support staff

• Adequacy of school facilities & resources

• Consistent use of culturally & linguistically responsive, evidence-based practices

• Supportive responsive relationships

• Other effective practices & procedures


True or False?

School districts are required to provide information to parents of ELL students in their home language even if they are not literate in that language.


What we recommend at Step 1

At enrollment & within a month in school:

1. Have support structures and programs in place to facilitate learning

2. Determine the current/baseline level of acculturation

3. Find out the Home Language(s)4. Language Screening in both5. Plan for monitoring student progress

True or False?

LEP students cannot be referred for special education services if they are limited English proficient.


What we recommend for Step 2

1. Identify student’s home language proficiency & use to support academic interventions.

2. Measure student’s level of acculturation to school and use to implement appropriate instruction & intervention.

3. Measure the student’s ‘classroom language’ in all communication modes & use to design appropriate instruction & intervention.

4. Develop a resiliency & cognitive learning profile useful in implementing effective instruction & intervention.

5. Implement strength based instruction & language support.

6. Monitor effectiveness of instruction & intervention.


Specific Needs

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

_____________

____________

_____________

Doesn’t get work in = Self checklist

Does not take time to think

Cannot organize tasks

Makes noises to distract

Says it’s no use to do work

Does not initiate work

Confuses English & Spanish phonemes

= “STOP” strategies

= Graphic organizers

= Guided practice

= Self concept activities

= Active processing

= Compare & contrast, rhymes, games

= Specific Strategies



1. Implement specific strength & need based interventions that facilitate learning.

2. Monitor effectiveness of instruction & intervention strategies. Modify based upon student’s response to the strategy.

3. Monitor effectiveness of instruction and intervention in relation to student’s home language proficiency.

4. Monitor student’s level & rate of acculturation to school & the effectiveness of instruction & intervention to facilitate.

5. Monitor the student’s ‘classroom language’ in all communication modes & the appropriateness of instruction & intervention to expand.

6. Monitor resiliency & cognitive learning & effectiveness of instruction & intervention.



1. Determine if the rate & level of acculturation to school is normal & analyze pattern of response to intervention & instruction.

2. Determine if language gains are normal & analyze pattern of language acquisition.

3. Determine if student response to interventions & modification patterns resolve problems & are sustainable.

4. Implement & monitor short cycle tightly focused “unanswered” needs based intervention.

5. Monitor the response & effectiveness of intervention.


What we recommend for Step 5After a formal referral:1. Crosscultural evaluation based upon the outcomes

of the instructional intervention2. Test Evaluation Checklist3. CrossCultural Administration of Standardized TestsIf the student is eligible for SE & ESL services:4. Integrated plan of services.5. Cross-cultural IEP.6. Continued language and acculturation support.If the student is not eligible for SE services:7. Integrated plan of services within the general

education program.8. Continued language and acculturation support.


Indicators that validate the need for SPED evaluation

Poor communicative proficiency in the home as compared to siblings and age peers in bilingual environments, especially when this lack is noticed by the parents.English language development that appears to be significantly different than that of peers who are also learning English as a additional language.Documentation that student’s acquisition of English is within normal range for his peer group, age, culture/language population, length of time in ESL, etc. but there are specific learning and/or behavior problems unrelated to culture shock or language transition.Specific sensory, neurological, organic, motor, or other conditions that impact learning and behavior when having reliable documentation that culture shock or language transition contributes but is not the determining factor for the learning and behavior problems.Student is demonstrating limited phrasing and vocabulary in both languages indicating that she has not acquired morphologic structures by the appropriate age. Again, both languages may be marked by a short length of utterance


True or False?

Districts should ensure that a teacher with credentials to provide instruction to EL students participate in every IEP proceeding involving these students.



PreProduction

Early Production

Speech

Emergence

Intermediate

Fluency

Intermediate Advanced Fluency

Advanced Fluency

Needs total assistance

Needs a great deal of assistance

Needs a lot of assistance

Has a moderate level of needs

Has moderate but specific needs

Has specific need to be addressed

Needs minimal assistance

Pull out for targeted assistance

Push in for targeted assistance

Integrate for targeted assistance

Total InclusionJosé


Things Could Be Worse!


Accommodations for adult learners

TimeNote takersRecorderLocationOthers


Best PracticeEducators

• Be informed• Model correct

interactions• Use varied

responses• Facilitate

accommodations

Families• Information• Communication

Be Prepared


Contact Information

Catherine Collier, Ph.D.360-380-7513 voice360-650-4673 campus360-483-5658 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Big shoes to fill

…….and remember…


Les still isn’t one with his horse.


Thank you! Come visit us atwww.crosscultured.com

Over 45 years experience.Research on impact of acculturation on referral & placement of CLD students. Research on effectiveness of specific cognitive learning strategies for diverse learners.Classroom teacher, diagnostician, faculty, administrator. Social justice advocate, author & teacher educator.

Webcast2011

Education

Transcript of Webcast2011