English Language Learners with Disabilities May Not Get the Right Diagnosis

In a 2004 U.S. Department of Education study, staff from districts around the U.S. expressed "concerns about the challenge faced in attempting to distinguish between second language acquisition versus a disability as the source of a student’s academic difficulties." This means that students are often denied appropriate placement. While some students are wrongly diagnosed as learning disabled, the federal study uncovered a larger trend: ELL students are underrepresented in special education programs.

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