The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore what elementary teachers recommend and understand in identifying appropriate referral and classroom support placement procedures of English language learners with a suspected disability in the southeastern United States. Incorporating the conceptual frameworks of Bandura (1977) and…

The disproportionate representation of English Language Learners (ELL) to special education is widely attributed to the difficulty in identifying a disability through a language in development. This language acquisition or language disorder question has manifested in paradoxical disproportionality patterns for the ELL population. Some…

This paper explores societal perceptions of a child's disability and bilingualism through the author's observations and reflections. Drawing from the observations of the child in different public schools in the United States, the author shares how the child has been viewed differently and similarly by school personnel. By reflecting on different…

Parent-educator partnerships are an important element of effective early childhood, K-12, and special education programs (Dunst, Trivette, & Snyder, 2000; Tabors, 2008). While early childhood and other classrooms in the United States are increasingly diverse, the teachers in those classrooms are unlikely to be of the same linguistic or cultural…

Historically, neither a positive nor a supportive relationship existed between the population of students designated English language learners (ELLs) and the field of special education. Children's lack of English proficiency was often misinterpreted as a disability and they were referred for special education, whereas others who actually had a…

Existing research indicates that there is a disproportionate number of students with cultural and linguistic differences, English Language Learners (ELL), who are misidentified as learning disabled when their problems are due to cultural and/or linguistic differences. As a consequence, these students do not receive appropriate services. With the…

The number of English language learners (ELLs) in early childhood regular and special education services has increased dramatically in the past decade. A survey was conducted with 141 early childhood administrators and teachers to examine their beliefs and practices concerning the special education referral, evaluation, and placement process for…

This article presents a framework to guide special education services for English language learners. Policies and procedures that can minimize disproportionate representation are suggested, as are recommendations for appropriate referral, assessment, and instructional practices. Multidisciplinary teams are discussed and placement options for…

This issue highlights six distinct studies. The first study examines the inclusion of literacy props and teacher mediation on the literacy behaviors of young children. The second explores the relationship of amount of talk, diversity of talk, and complexity of talk on the language acquisition of young preschool children who are learning a second…