Bilingual children have often be misdiagnosed as having learning disabilities or special education needs. Sometimes the problems observed in school result from limited experiences and limited exposure to the language of instruction. Consider the following behaviors:

• Student is learning slowly in the classroom. If instruction is available only in English, the resulting problems may be the result of limited experience with the English language.
• Student switches back and forth between languages. This behavior has often been viewed as an indicator of language confusion. Alternating between two languages (code switching), however, is commonly observed even among highly educated individuals who are completely fluent in both their native language and English. Therefore, it is quite normal to observe bilingual individuals swithing back and forth between the home and school language.
• A low proficiency level is demonstrated in both the primary language and English. Bilingual students may lose proficiency in their home language if opportunities for continued use of that language are limited. In fact, many children lose proficiency in their native language as they are learning English, especially in situations where the parents start to use English only. If given formal tests, students who have experienced language loss may perform poorly in both languages. These students are going through normal processes of language acquisition and language loss and should not be viewed as "disabled."  

When bilingual children are referred for testing, it is important to obtain information about their language history. How much do they use each language at home, school, and in the community? Have changes occurred in the extent to which they use the primary language at home? If opportunities for use of the primary language are eliminated or reduced, a loss of proficiency is highly likely. When assessing English language learners, obtain information about their skills in both the home and school languages. It is also important to consider how these students respond to language instruction. Students who have difficulty learning new language skills may need further evaluation to determine if there is a language learning disability.

A variety of assessment tools and informational resources relevant to the needs of bilingual/multicultural students can be obtained from Academic Communication Associates.