Preschool: Referrals for Young Children From Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds With Disabilities

• In Event: Ethical Dilemmas in Teaching Practice: Considerations for Teacher Education

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this discussion is to inform preservice and practicing teachers about laws and best practices surrounding referral practices for infants and toddlers from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) background who may qualify for services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004).
Research Context
Children with special needs from families who are CLD represent a rapidly growing population in the United States (Friesen, Hanson, & Martin, 2014). At the end of the 2015 school year, an estimated 14.4% of US school-age English learners (EL) also had a documented disability (NCES, 2017); however, data for non-school age populations, meaning children in the ‘Birth to Five’ realm, is not readily accessible and in many cases is incomplete. One of the greatest challenges facing early interventionists is that many families are not aware that Child Find services, which mandate schools to identify, find, evaluate children with disabilities (IDEA, 2004), exist for children under the age of 5. Perhaps an even greater challenge is gaining the trust of the families served under the laws meant to protect their children (Turnbull et al., 2015).
Dilemma
Should a teacher make a referral to Child Find for a child from a CLD background if family agreement could not be ascertained given the possible challenges of communication and fear of interaction? Should screening for delays be universal for children under the age of 5 who are not attending compulsory school programs?
Possible Points of View
Language barriers may serve to exacerbate the disconnect between awareness of such services and the actualization of Part C referral and evaluation processes. Lopez (2001) suggested that traditional parent involvement activities related to the US educational system may be especially frustrating for families who do not speak English. Additionally, immigrant families with undocumented family members who fear deportation may be very reluctant to become involved in school-based activities (McWayne, Campos, Owsianik, 2008). As such, referrals of young children from CLD backgrounds to federally mandated Part C referral systems are not straightforward; securing services for children who qualify for early intervention is multi-nuanced, contextual and requires careful and intentional communication with families.
Scholarly Significance
This work is framed using Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) bioecological systems theory, which suggests that various layers of the child’s microsystem, such as familial beliefs about disability, the childcare environment, and the family’s knowledge of school options intersect to indirectly affect the child (mesosystem). Bronfenbrenner’s exosystem consists of external entities which may indirectly impact the child, such as federal agencies who serve children with disabilities (USDOE/OSEP) and low-income children (USHHS/Head Start). Thus, his framework suggests that multiple nested layers impact the family’s knowledge of early intervention services and access to such services.

Author

• Amy Kappel Noggle, Towson University