An Assessment of Learning Disabled Bilingual Students

When speaking of the learning disabled, bilingual student, one must inherently consider some dimensions to the issue of assessment within a particularly specialized light. This special population reflects both the learning disabled (LD) and the bilingual student. For purposes of this discussion, it is presumed that most all members of this specialized segment are Hispanic. This is largely the case within a practical context, albeit as the literature points out, preconsiderations must be afforded for bilingual education (students) Ñ as well as those members of the Hispanic community who reflect a variety of backgrounds, including Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, etc. To this extent, it is the view of this author that the challenges for the bilingual, learning disabled, special education educator are particularly complex. To begin with, it is important to look at the many variables which exist within the aforementioned components. These components include English as a Second Language (ESL), the extent to which Hispanic students speak English at home, the extent to which Spanish speaking students speak Spanish at home, the extent to which parents are involved or assume an active role in this overall effort, and finally the impact this has on teaching the learning disabled in a classroom setting Ñ and more specifically Ñ when employing the assistance of a translator. it is the view of this author that, too often, curriculum-based assessment is hampered with some biases, to which extent it is the aim of this author to address some of these. David P. Dolson (1985) offers us some insight into the importance of these relationships, stating that the most essential factor between academic achievement or scholastic performance on the part of the Hispanic child is directly related to the effect of Spanish home language.