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Hardach, S. (2023). How dyslexia changes in other languages - BBC Future

Reasons for the Misidentification of Special Needs among ELLs | Colorín Colorado (colorincolorado.org)

Chapter 6 Tools and Resources for Addressing English Learners With Disabilities (ed.gov) (2016, 22 pp.)

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How can we get content teachers to be a part of the process–primarily in supporting students appropriately?

Why do some schools wait to place students, or place students right away prior to evaluating?

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I will advocate for appropriate training for school leaders and content teachers within the school. Referring students appropriately and also doing my part in making sure the ILPs are being understood and followed by all stakeholders.

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I have learned from my readings that there are four potential factors in the misidentification of learning support or special education needs. According to Ch. 6 of the English Learner Toolkit, the four factors are: 1) Evaluator’s lack of understanding of second language development with disabilities, 2) poor instructional strategies, 3) weak intervention strategies, 4) inappropriate assessment tools. In addition to this, information from the Hardach (2023) article opened my eyes to the realization that someone with dyslexia can struggle with reading and writing in English, but be above level in reading and writing in a different language. I found that fascinating.

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I can find out by collaborating with my learning support/EAL colleagues, as well as incorporating student voice. Asking the students about what works best for them and their learning; taking that to discuss what could be used for a larger group vs. the individual.

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What is the best way to train classroom teachers/content teachers about the different strategies they can incorporate into their lessons to better support both MLs and LS students?

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We know that there can be a lot of difficulty in designating students EAL and LS. Some schools make the decision to place MLs in LS from the start, while others wait up to a year to monitor and make the decision. We also know that there is still so much stigma attached to being in learning support or special education, so it’s important for schools to take that into consideration; we don’t want to increase students’ stress and anxiety. Lastly, we know that students’ ELP can’t be the only determinant in deciding if a student has a disability.

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Assessing Learning
Issues Related to
Multilingual Learners

Ashley Nation
IAML, Spring 2023
Week 9 Book Club Presentation

A day in the life at an English school for learners with Special Educational Needs
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/inclusive-practices/articles/day-life-english-school-learners

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Though this school is not a mainstream 'regular' school it very much follows the UK national curriculum. A number of the children go onto further education and the focus is on developing life skills for all whatever the learning challenge using a variety of child centred learning approaches. More detailed information on the school is available at http://www.thestchristopherschool.co.uk/
Learners on the Autism spectrum
All learning difficulties and special educational needs are on a spectrum and learners with autism (often known as the autism spectrum disorder or ASD) may function quite effectively (often children described as having Asperger syndrome) in a learning context or may have what is understood as 'classical autism' where they are unable to function independently with little or no language/ communication skills and are likely to need to be looked after all their lives. It is not clear why a child may be autistic but what is clear is that there is no 'template' on how to work with learners on the autistic spectrum. Like all learners, they are all individuals and require individual approaches in developing their skills.

Do you recognise these behaviours and are these reactions typical of some teachers in your context?

"He is just manipulative"

"She acts like she cannot hear"

"He is inconsistent"

"She is very distractible"

"He is off in another world"

"She does just what she wants to"

"He doesn't pay attention"

"I know she understands - she just doesn't want to do it"

"He seems to have obsessive behaviour which I can't deal with"

These feelings and reactions may be immediate reactions to difficult and inappropriate behaviour by learners with ASD but it would be helpful for us to begin to understand what the causes of such behaviour are and then how we can effectively manage such behaviour in both ourselves and our learners.

Learners on with ASD are likely to have difficulties with the following;

Processing and retaining verbal information

Following instructions

Organising and planning

Seeing the bigger picture

Focus or motivation

Coping with change / unpredictability

Working co-operatively

Processing sensory information

Difficulty understanding and expressing feelings

The main challenge for learners with ASD are social and interaction needs and essentially is an issue that they think and function differently in social situations. Because of this, they need to learn in different ways and to develop appropriate social skills and behaviour in order to function appropriately in 'our world' . Sadly, most school curricula are not 'autism friendly'. Learning difficulties may arise from:

An excessive high sensitivity to sensory stimuli;

Inability to understanding abstract concepts such as, goodness, fairness, metaphor or humour;

An inability to understand appropriate behaviour in social contexts;

How to make to friends.

Children on the autism spectrum are ripe for bullying at school and, unfortunately, usually are.
The gift of autism
Learners on the autism spectrum are, however, usually expert in a favourite subject often with strong interest in technology or the creative arts. They are also, especially if more able, have a very clear self-awareness of their personal strengths, challenges and gifts. Given the real challenges with both verbal and written language - usually essential as part of any communication - a visual approach to presenting information is often essential.
So, how can I support learners with ASD in my classroom?
Of course, the ideal situation is where professionals such as speech therapists, educational psychologists and other professionals are working together with any school across the curriculum. And the more teachers have an understanding of the ASD and the needs of learners the better. However, good practice methodology is often going to be 'the difference that makes the difference'.

In my day at St Christopher's I saw great examples of really good teaching and classroom. These included:

Ensuring learners had a clear understanding of the timetable of the day through a visual timetable of what would be covered and when

Planning lessons where subjects such as numeracy and literacy would be earlier in the day and more creative subjects such as arts in the afternoon

Offering individual education plans to ensure that while the focus is on access to the curriculum for everyone and interventions are targeted to specific individual learning needs

Integrating 'whole brain' activities through using drawing, music, songs and games into all lessons

Demonstrating practical application of subjects with hands on experience so learners can discover for themselves

Delivering subject knowledge in meaningful ways but also ensuring an approach to consistent behaviour in the classroom - knowing when to listen to the teacher, when and how to be on task and structures such as putting up hands before answering questions or asking before moving about the class

Ensuring different types of assessment - including self-assessment.

Explaining behaviour and the consequences of behaviour through social stories as one of the main challenges with learners with ASD is in not understanding appropriate behaviour. This is a really powerful technique

Providing a safe room where a learner can go at any time for a calming environment or for release of stress/ anger away from others

Inclusion in practice
While St Christopher's is a specialist school and not an example of a mainstream school I hope you can see that the school is a great example of 'inclusion' as they i) do follow the national curriculum; ii) a significant number take GCSE's or do vocational and other training; iii) It's a really good example of how and where best to place learners based on their individual needs.

While a general approach to inclusion means all learners will benefit from learning in a diverse classroom this should not mean there is a single 'one size fits all approach'. The needs of individual learners should always be the priority ensuring access to the curriculum and quality of education for all.

Essentially, what I experienced in the school - through very targeted child centred approaches for learners with complex communication and interaction needs was very good teaching and learning methodology which could be applied in various ways in any school.

I can only thank the teachers and pupils for letting be into their life briefly and helping me to understand their needs so much better. I have learnt so much from them.

Phil Dexter is a teacher development adviser for the British Council with responsibility for primary, secondary and special educational needs. Phil manages the delivery of the new TeachingEnglish special educational teacher training course.

Sources
http://www.autism.org.uk
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/creating-inclusive-learning-experience-english-language-learners-specific-needs
The New Social Story Book, 10 Anniversary Edition, Carol Gray, Future Horizons, Inc, 2010

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A day in the life at an English school for learners with Special Educational Needs

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Though this school is not a mainstream 'regular' school it very much follows the UK national curriculum. A number of the children go onto further education and the focus is on developing life skills for all whatever the learning challenge using a variety of child centred learning approaches.

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How can I ensure that my message is conveyed in meetings?

What is the most convenient technology to have online co-planning sessions?

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I will communicate with my colleagues even more about my students performance.
I will ask more questions in ELA meetings regarding my concerns.
I will apply for more PD courses to keep myself up-to-date.

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After my reading and viewing, my biggest takeaway is that how important collaborative work is in schools. It is sometimes neglected but should be kept up-front. If teachers can work collaboratively(E.g. co-teaching, ELA support, special needs specialist support etc.), it will help students' performance and skills development. Collaboration among the school community must be treated as priority for teacher and student success.

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First, I will read the literature of Special Education.
Then, I will have meetings with the Special needs support teacher in my school and discuss methods and techniques which can be used in my lessons and with my students.
If possible, apply for PD course about teachings students with special needs.

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I would like to know more about educating students with special needs regarding autism/autistic features. I am especially interested in the teaching methodology what should be applied when teaching children with special needs.

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As a teacher with only 2 years of experience in teaching I can tell that so far, I have faced many unexpected challenges in my career. Especially having students with special needs/ Autism Spectrum Disorder.
I have a few things I know about children with special needs.
1. There is no pre-made formula to use to teach them.
2. They are unique with unique needs.
3. Teachers should have a special toolbox full of techniques for students with special needs.

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Communicate, communicate, communicate!!!
1. I will communicate more with the LS department. When EAL and LS professionals work together, they can provide a more comprehensive and tailored approach to support students' learning needs. This collaboration can lead to improved academic performance and progress, as students receive the necessary support in their language development and learning needs.

2. I will communicate more with the HR/content teachers about professional development opportunities. EAL advising professional development can also provide homeroom teachers with new strategies and techniques for teaching EAL students. These strategies can help them adapt their instruction to meet the needs of EAL students, which can improve overall learning outcomes.

3. I will communicate more with the parents of our English learning students. Communication between EAL teachers and parents can help identify any issues or concerns that may be impacting the student's learning. This can include difficulties with the English language, cultural differences, or issues with socialization. By addressing these issues early on, EAL teachers can help ensure the student has a successful learning experience.

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Are there times when co-teaching (LS & EAL teacher) is appropriate?

Is there a best time frame to assess English language learners for special education needs?

How do we effectively assess learners in their first language
when screening and standardized tests are done in English?

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My references:
1- Myths About English Language Learners and Special Education | Understood (2022)

2- Out With the Old Medical Models, In With a New Ecological Response (Rojas, 2023)
3- Up Discussion.ASHLEY N SCHOOLWIDE SYSTEMS A ROADMAP

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is it enough to have professional development about strategies for SEN to say they are huevos cocidos?
2- How SLTs, Administration understand the importance of supporting multilingual when most SLTs in international schools are not multilingual/ bilingual?
3- How can we get the world language teachers, EAL, and English teachers to cooperate?
4- Where do we place the concept/ idea of moderation? I question if all teachers have the same understanding of proficiency, standards and criteria to assess students' performance to gather reliable data.  Does the same "product" of a student leads to the same conclusions by different teachers?
5- Why is there reluctance in schools to create one language department?

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1- Conversations with other language teachers, SEN specialists and content teachers should be our "·daily menu". However, this is becoming increasingly difficult in school so I will find spaces for informal conversations with specialists and small conversations about students of concern. This might require us to visit our privacy policies which sometimes go against more than in favour of the growth of learners.
2- I will do my best to introduce the concept of cooperation vs the concept of collaboration, as there is a little twist on how we will end up supporting our learners. COOPERATION by definition, is the process of working together to the same end, our end is not just collaborating our aim will be cooperating.
3-School needs to revisit what is behind "hiding" students who go to EAl classes, followed by SEN specialists. I still feel that in my classes (Spanish ), I can not ask Who is in EAL? i can see students faces as shamed.
4- The teacher (I) need to be proactive to narrow the fast-opening gap of change in our communities.

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After the reading, I have learned that action should be taken as soon as possible to tackle the matter of INCLUSION in international schools, either being ethnic, lingüsitic inclusión or construction of a more settled and real sense of community.

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- Firtslyt, I will find out how to support better my students firstly by putting aside some of the myths around SEN students and their effects on the dynamic of the Mainstream classroom. Myths like " I do not have the training, I am not a psychologist, etc". To be able to make a difference in our learners, we first need to believe in our learning capacity Also, how even if we have managed our classroom in a way for years and now we receive engaged students still, we will be learners on the way to our SEN students' Journey. We all learn by doing. Collaboration and "sacred" spaces and time for collaboration should be assumed. Collaboration between content teachers, world language teachers and SEN specialists and sharing our deficiencies in pedagogical approaches are the key to create an ecosystem of learning where learning is a network individuals. etc.

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Ashely Nation's Week 9 Presentation
Auslander, L. & Yip, J. (2022). Schoolwide systems for multilingual learner success: A roadmap for leaders.
Eye on Education, Routledge.

Klingner, J.K. (2015). Distinguishing language acquisition from learning disabilities, NYC Department of Education, pp. 1-10.

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-What do successful learning support structures look like?
-What strategies can teachers use to support long term language learners?

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-Collaborate with my team to find ways to educate students on disabilities and inclusion. Use these sessions with students to springboard conversation with their parents. Perhaps hold a Parent Coffee Event that is held my students to promote inclusion
-Educate my team about misconceptions between EAL and LD (Klinger). Discuss how we differentiate between the two with our Learning Specialist.  A guest invite to this department meeting would be a great addition.
-Review the school Inclusion Policy to see what structures the school currently has in place to support students. Recommend a survey be sent out to teachers at the end of the year to give feedback on the LS process.

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My biggest takeaways from my readings this week were:
-structures are KEY. Without accountability and connections to culturally - relevant/ SEL, initiatives to support MLs are not sustainable (Auslander Yip, 2022).
-inadequate learning opportunities are often mistaken for LD (Klinger)
-understanding basic misconceptions about language learning can help deter misdiagnosis (Klinger)
-frequent data collection and collaboration can help to support MLs and LDs (Auslander Yip 2022)

= If a school seeks to foster success for all students, it begins by creating interdependent systems that are "resilient, self-organizing, and interconnected" (Aus Yip 2022)

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-Speak with local colleagues to better understand the culture's perspective on disabilities. Ask them how traditional views on disabilities is changing and how we can promote conversations on inclusivity at our school and with parents.
-Shift from deficit thinking to an assertive view of EAL students. Promote the idea of language repertoire through mini-pds and coaching sessions with content-area teachers.
-Discuss concerns and highlight successes of current systems to share ILPs with teachers. How might this system be streamlined to springboard strategies that work for specific students?

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-How can we educate parents on learning disabilities and how diagnosis can support student learning?
-How can we identify misunderstandings that may be causing an EAL student to be classified as LD?
-What structures can international schools put in place to better communicate LD with teachers and strategies to support/scaffold?

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I know how difficult it is to decipher learning disabilities especially working with a community who associates learning disabilities with family shame. I know that diagnosing a student with learning disabilities to properly support them takes a village in terms of testing, collaboration between the school and families, and collaboration between content teachers and specialists. When one of these pieces is missing it can make it incredibly difficult to figure out how best to create opportunities for students to be successful.  My current school is in a country where testing for learning disabilities is scarce and often not supported by the parents. Often times these students are put in the Language Acquisition classes because we provide scaffolded content. I know that:
- EAL classes do not replace directed learning support
- Equating EAL and learning disabilities creates a deficit view of both student populations
- Determining learning disabilities within an EAL population can be tricky especially with the absence of a strong learning support team and testing

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Klingner, J.K. (2015). Distinguishing language acquisition from learning disabilities, NYC

Department of Education, pp. 1-10.

Orosco, M. J., Almanza de Schonwise, E., de Onís. C., Klingner, J.K. & Hoover, J.J. (2016).

Distinguishing between language acquisition and learning disabilities among English learners

in Why do English learners struggle with reading?: Distinguishing language acquisition from

learning disabilities, pp. 7-23

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Identifying students who are still developing their mastery of English as having a learning disability is incredibly difficult due to misconceptions of natural stages in language acquisition being misidentified as a learning difficulty. The aforementioned is impacted by a variety of factors, but not least that teacher education regarding teaching ELL’s is

not always a developed as it could be.

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How can we improve our school communities to help better identify if a ELL has a learning disability?

How are we able to develop a more consistent and thorough system to ensure all teachers are affording all possible supports to ELL’s to help them in their language acquisition journey?

How are we able to build better relationships with ELL’s, their families and the school so as to help ensure that students backgrounds and cultural experiences are understood sufficiently enough to support the student?

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Discuss with the SLT the current procedures and systems that exist in order to determine whether an ELL has a LD.

Survey colleagues on a voluntary and anonymous basis to determine the level of support that is currently provided by teachers across the school. Work with EAL specialists to develop supports that could be used by any and all teachers to help students with language acquisition.

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The development of legislation, attitudes and educational practices has made positive steps in regard to ELL’s and the possibility of them having a learning disability. The education community in the United States have largely been encouraged to move towards an approach that supports students as much as possible in their language acquisition journey instead of immediately considering a ELL may have a LD because they are not moving along as quickly as their more fluent peers.

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Reach out and spend more time with teachers in the department I currently work in to help provide more personalised support for challenges they find ELL’s have so that we can support them more effectively.

Reach out to colleagues to schedule time to discuss and see practices that they find effectively in supporting ELL students.

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How do we assess students in their native language to determine whether they have an potential LD when the school is English immersion and actively insists on an assessments being in English?

How do we effectively advocate to the SLT to provide more support structures and training for teachers so that they are able to not only support language acquisition but also to help refer students if they believe they have a LD.

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• Educating English Language Learners | AFT (2018)
• Myths About English Language Learners and Special Education | Understood (2022)
• Viewing: Ashley Nation's Book Club Presentation on Assessing Learning Issues Related to Multilingual Learners

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• How do we effectively assess learners in their first language when screening and standardized tests are done in English?

• Is one to seven years really the best time frame to assess an English language learner for special education?

• It was established that not all practices deemed effective for English-proficient learners are effective for ELLs and vice versa. How does this come into play in the discussion of whether EALs should be part of their mainstream English classes or pulled out into a separate sheltered English class?

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1) Based on Myths About English Language Learners and Special Education | Understood, 2022:

Partnership between EAL and LS teams to help interpret data accurately.

Provide opportunities for teachers and staff to know more about the difference between our LS and EAL learners, support, and services.

“Closely monitor student progress to determine the most appropriate course of action for students”.

Reach out to and build relationships with multilingual families.

2) Based on Educating English Language Learners | AFT, 2018:

“Ensure that students with varying levels of English proficiency can access their academic content, strengthen their literacy skills, and engage with and learn from their peers”

Devise and advocate for professional development opportunities for all classroom teachers to receive proper training on assessing EAL/LS needs, providing specific and differentiated support, and managing student behavior and learning difficulties.

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“In many situations, students are actually succeeding, even though it doesn’t look like success to their teacher” (Breiseth, 2022). This line struck me because it encapsulates the exact reason why us teachers need to shift from a deficit-based lens/mindset to an asset-based one. Our EAL and LS students are not problems to be fixed - they all have individual and unique strengths they bring to the table. This reminds me of a group of EAL students I had a year ago who were brave enough to speak up and advocate for themselves because they feel like their teachers have this fixed mindset that they can never be as good as their other native speaker peers - resulting in their class activities and assessments always being modified and simplified. Just because some students are moving at a slower pace compared to their peers, doesn’t mean that they have a learning disability. Breiseth (2022) emphasizes that immediately placing them in a special education class doesn’t necessarily help them succeed (overidentification). But being unresponsive to their needs and struggles could also lead to learners not receiving help and support when they need it the most (underidentification). Therefore, it is crucial for schools to have appropriate and research-based referral/evaluation policies and a wide range of practices and services in place. In addition to this, a collaborative and open relationship between EAL and LS/SPED professionals where all can build on each other’s expertise is something that should be prioritized and continually worked on.

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• Develop collaboration and shared responsibility with the learning support team. Share protocols and best practices.

• Engage on further reading and research about when multilingual learners may need additional support.

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I want to know more about specific materials, strategies, and practices that the administration and teachers alike could adopt to improve how we distinguish, identify, classify, and support both EAL and LS learners.

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It is particularly challenging to identify if language learners have learning disabilities.There are many things at play when determining learners’ needs (culture, background, immersion, student motivation and engagement, etc). These contributing factors are oftentimes overlooked, resulting in mislabeling of ELLs. For instance, I have a Japanese student who just shut down and was barely making any progress in his classes. I’ve always wondered if there are deeper underlying issues that require LS intervention. His other teachers and I were oblivious to the fact that his loss of motivation was due to his only Japanese friend in class leaving the school and the country in the middle of the school year. This possible mislabeling could lead to failure to provide language learners’ specific linguistic, literacy, and academic needs.

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I would like to know which kind of activities we can support better students with learning challenges, in HS who weren't in LS in their previous years of schooling.
How do we educate support parents to support and embrace their child's challenges?

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In the last 12 years, I have taught Spanish as an additional language in 4 international schools. I have taught from grade 1 to grade 12. I know now that: subject teachers might wait too long to take out our red flags. We might think that if the class teacher/core subject teacher has not done a log entry about Jonh's handwriting, I might be exaggerating. am I questioning my colleagues? These types of fears exist and are real. (I particularly remember a student in grade 8, with a clear case of dysgraphia and was never tested diagnosed until I pointed out (8 years of schooling) I also know that not allowing EAL learners to take another additional language as Spanish was detrimental for EAL students and the poor message for multilingualism advocacy in an international school. I also know that all four schools' EAL was/is included in the Learning support department. I wonder why there is a LANGUAGE department and no segregation of languages. I am happy that my school is: Students services.

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- Myths About English Language Learners and Special Education | Understood (2022)

-  Klingner, J.K. (2015). Distinguishing language acquisition from learning disabilities, NYC
Department of Education, pp. 1-10. (Available in Schoology)

-Reasons for the Misidentification of Special Needs among ELLs | Colorín Colorado (colorincolorado.org)

Ashley Nation's Week 9 book club presentation - Assessing Learning Issues Related to Multilingual Learners

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Some schools use subjective policies that determine when to test an ELL student for special education services (Understood, 2022). They may involve the interpretation of various factors such as the student's language proficiency, academic performance, and cultural background. Many of these policies are put in place to avoid overidentification.

Hayaman et al. state the "most significant reason for the tendency to overidentify ELLs as in need of special education is that the assessment of proficiency and its manifestations among ELLs is fraught with difficulty.

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Gather as much information about the students’ education experience and skills in their native language as possible

Compare data from the student’s most recent English language proficiency assessments

Psychological evaluation in L1 by outside source, if necessary

Student Review meetings with all educational stakeholders

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Is there any one assessment/screener that is able to identify EAL vs LS needs?

What to do when parents aren’t supportive of the LS evaluation process?

Are there times when co-teaching (LS & EAL teacher) is appropriate?

At what point in a struggling English learner's timeline is a referral warranted?

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"There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about services and supports for students who are learning English" Breiseth, Colorín Colorado

Many years ago when I first a started working as a homeroom teacher, I remember having concerns about some of my struggling emergent bilingual students. They just weren't picking up English as quickly as I thought they 'should'. It was more convenient to think "Maybe there's another issue with Yumin. Should I refer her to LS?" than to reflect "What more can I do for her?". Over the last decade, I have learned how small a chance it is that a struggling English learner has learning difficulties.

Things I know:

Many international schools have a system in place for HR/content teachers to refer students of concern for LS evaluation

Learning support is not an appropriate substitute for English language support

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by a EAL specialist or teacher who raise a red flag about a unique or abnormal learning pattern or challenges of a current EAL students

by referral from another teacher to seek assistance for a student in need.  conduct assessment, meet with relevant teachers, principals, counselors, etc and suggest best intervention strategies for this student.

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“A Day in the Life at an English School for Learners with Special Educational Needs.” TeachingEnglish, 2017, www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development/teachers/inclusive-practices/articles/day-life-english-school-learners. Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.

‌

“Educating English Language Learners.” American Federation of Teachers, 2 Sept. 2020, www.aft.org/ae/fall2018/august. Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.

"Identifying and supporting English learner students with learning disabilities: Key issues in teh literature and state practice" Elizabeth Burr, Eric Haas, Karen Ferriere, WestEd. July 2015.

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Screen for Language and Literacy challenges, monitor progress and support EAL who are struggling and flag out LS students who needs further help to the relevant teachers for early interventions.

create two different procedures for assessing and supporting EAL and LS students.

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What can we do to help EAL students master core content and skills and for LS students too

can we combine both EAL and LS students in a classroom but using different teaching strategies and assessment criteria?

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EAL students generally have problems with phonetics and having challenges when attempting to do so in writing and speaking English which invertedly affect their academic success.  LS students inherits more complexity as compared to the EAL students.

supporting EAL students is a long and daunting task and assessing LS students from EAL will require full collaboration from personnel/teachers in various departments. e.g teacher, Head of Year, counsellors, principals, psychologist, student support specialists, etc.

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How to offer a fair assessment where LS students can be identified from EAL students?

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The international school environment school has very diverse, unique and rich cultures consisting of students from all over the world with different races, religions and ethnic groups.  It is hard to assess and balance the needs of every student and most of the time challenging to tell the needs of an EAL vs LS.

There will always be inequalities in any school system esp students with learning disabilities or with English barrier but as EAL specialist, we must do out utmost best to ensure fair and non-bias treatment and assessment for all students in our care.  And we must make sure we have a proper and systematic way of assessing a student so that they will not be misdiagnosed or an unfair placement due to lack of standards in the school