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The Noticing Period is when an educator first realizes that a student may have a learning disability, and will begin collecting evidence to present their case to a colleague.

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A team member or teacher who does not typically teach the child (unbiased party) will observe the child in a normal classroom setting.

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After the unbiased party conducts a formal observation, parents should be called in for a meeting to discuss the educator's findings. Questions to help find the source of the educational issue should be asked, such as: "Does the child have the same problem in their L1 as they do in their L2?" and "Does the child struggle in multiple contexts and environments?"

If the answer is yes, and the child struggles in multiple context and in both languages, further action should be taken, as it is more likely to be a learning disability, rather than a language acquisition issue.

ELLs are disproportionately placed in special education programs, so it is important to try and find a certified interpreter to help at this stage to avoid miscommunication and unnecessary evaluations

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After a meeting (or several) with the family, the student, and an interpreter, it is discovered that the issue is the child's lack of English proficiency that created a barrier to successful learning. With modifications to original lesson plans and some additional attention, students who struggle can have sounds and letters modeled, and eventually reach the same language level as their peers.

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The conversation with the child's parents revealed that what the educators noticed is a continued problem for the bilingual child in both their L1 and L2, meaning that this could be a learning disability, not a language acquisition issue.

The child should then be referred to screening, to better pinpoint what exactly the issue is.

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Once a report is written, screening is conducted to further explore if a child has a learning disability. Two common forms are used: the severe discrepancy model (SDM) and the response to intervention model (RTI)

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While not a perfect depiction of SDM, Forrest Gump can help one remember the difference between SDM and RTI!

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In the classic film Forrest Gump, the main character of the same name is told that because of his low IQ, he cannot attend public school, and we watch as his principle compares his IQ to where he "should" be.

The Severe Discrepancy Model (SDM) is a norm-referenced model, but it is not exactly like this film depiction. Though, it can be slightly similar. SDM uses measures of IQ (WISC) in tandem with other academic tasks and performances to see if there is a gap between intelligence and performance. If there is a gap, the child may be diagnosed with a learning disability, as they are not achieving their full potential, and may need additional assistance to get there.

And like the method used to evaluate Forrest, SDM is becoming outdated, with 11 states banning its use in schools for evaluation purposes. Lastly, the SDM model is not good for early prevention.

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The response to Intervention (RTI) form of screening is a criterion-referenced model that is preventative, rather than retrospective. Unlike the SDM model, educators are expected to notice signs early and often by using research-based programs to make sure students are all at the same level -- then use targeted teaching methods to help individuals who struggle to catch up.

Though, once RTI is put in place, observations should not be the only way to see if a student is succeeding. The evidence and the data should speak for itself, and adaptions to teaching methods and lesson plans should be made accordingly.

If a student goes through the 3 Tiers of support: universal, targeted, and intensive (individual support) and data shows that expected progress was not made -- the student will need additional evaluation

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A collection of the child's data, including test scores, IQ, assessments, observation notes, etc. are accumulated and presented to parents, once more informing them of the current situation. Teachers will then recommend a student to have a Special Education assessment.

This assessment will determine if the child has a particular category of disability, their developmental needs, if the child does in fact need special education services and has a disability as listed in law, and what an IEP would look like.

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"It is important to know that the group may not determine that a child is eligible [for special education services] if the determinant factor for making that judgment is the child’s lack of instruction in reading or math or the child’s limited English proficiency. The child must otherwise meet the law’s definition of a “child with a disability”–meaning that he or she has one of the disabilities listed in the law and, because of that disability, needs special education and related services."

If a child does not fulfill the above qualifications, the child cannot be considered for special education services, but may require more assistance and intentional, individual instruction in the classroom.

For students hailing from non-native English speaking homes, a misdiagnosis may have been prevented, as ELLs are often placed in Special education courses unnecessarily. While frustrating, this process has better provided data and information that can help the student get to where they need to be.

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Public entities may come to the conclusion that a student does not qualify for special education -- and some parents might disagree! If this is the case, parents can seek out an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). Sometimes these are paid for by public funds, and sometimes they are paid for by the parents.

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When a child is officially determined to have a learning disability, the next step is implementing steps to ensure that the student can begin to make progress using aids made to help them succeed.

This doesn't necessarily mean that a child isn't an ELL, or that additional language acquisition methods must be put in place for students. Some children have both -- a learning disability and a language acquisition issue. Adopting models such as the SIOP lesson plan in addition to addressing a student's need as brought up in their IEPs can help students make improvements in areas they were previously struggling in.

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If it is a language acquisition issue, further tests must be made to see to the extent of the problem, and begin to form a plan on how to assist the student.

Tests such as the:

-WIDA Screener

-ELPA21 Exam

-AAPPL Test

can be used to determine language proficiency based on grade level and state requirements.

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(Source, also Google and official sites of aforementioned language tests)

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Hard to determine if the child has a learning disability or a language acquisition issue, because oftentimes class materials are in English, and accommodations for language limitations may not be made. Most of the IQ tests and the child's peers are monolingual -- not bilingual!

"it is normal for ELLs to have lower scores on verbal tasks than on tasks that do not require as much verbal processing"

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-Some schools may not have assistance for the ELL's primary language available

- Schools have limited resources for ELLs

- Does not address diverse cultural and linguistic background

- Some ELLs have limited or interrupted prior schooling