Learning Disabilities or Difference: A Critical Look at Issues Associated with the Misidentification and Placement of Hispanic Students in Special Education Programs

Abstract

A new generation of Hispanic students are at risk due to inadequacies in our educational system. The inadequacies which include lack of prepared teachers and misuse of testing and assessment procedures impact special education programs, in particular, when one examines practices relative to Latino students in the area of learning disabilities. The article addresses problems in the definition of learning disabilities, learner variability, and the effects of race, poverty, culture, and language on educational outcomes. The authors call for a new assessment paradigm that would require the restructuring of professional development programs and institutional practices in public schools that are not in line with current research on topics related to this population including second language acquisition and cognitive development.

Focus on Latino Learners: Developing a Foundational Understanding of Latino Cultures to Cultivate Student Success

“…In accordance with the latest reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2004), students identified with a qualifying disability become eligible for instructional and related services to ensure academic success in the public schools. However, the identification process used by schools has yielded a significant number of false positives, particularly amongst students from diverse backgrounds, thus contributing to disproportionality (Fletcher & Navarrete, 2003). More important, the misidentification of a disability leads to a detrimental school experience.…”

“…Disproportionality has become a critical concern in the field of education (Fletcher & Navarrete, 2003;Guiberson, 2009;Johns, Moreno, Albrecht, Hale, & Raza-Self, 2007;Moreno & Wong-Lo, 2011;Samuels, 2004). The term refers to the disproportionate number of students from diverse backgrounds as being over-or underrepresented in a specific disability category when compared with White students on the basis of disability prevalence.…”

“…More important, the misidentification of a disability leads to a detrimental school experience. Misidentified students often are restricted from accessing the general education curriculum, which impedes appropriate academic progress, experience deficits in social skills and appropriate behavioral interactions, and lack adequate preparation for a postsecondary education or career (Fletcher & Navarrete, 2003;Guiberson, 2009;Moreno & Wong-Lo, 2011;Salund, Duhaney, & Montgomery, 2002;Skiba et al, 2006;Taylor, 2005).…”

Infusing Culturally Responsive Instruction to Improve Mathematics Performance of Latino Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

“…In addition to the overall lower achievement and poorer educational outcomes, Latino students are also in jeopardy for disproportionate representation in special education referrals (Fletcher & Navarrete, 2003). Although disproportionality in special education for Latino students is not a national trend, it still occurs in states and districts that are heavily populated by Latino students (Guiberson, 2009).…”

Sociocultural Perspective on Autism Intervention

“…As a result, such culture-specific responses can potentially impact the interventions recommended by a treatment team, with European American children more likely to participate in intervention programs and receiving treatment via parent support more immediately than Asian children. On the other hand, the cultural differences in perceiving behavior have also contributed to over-diagnoses of behavior problems of minority students due to the cultural biases of educational and mental health administrators [12,13].…”