English Learners with Disabilities

​​​​​​​​​​​​This page provides information and resources for districts in planning for and supporting families and individuals who are English Learners (EL) with disabilities. 

Kentucky- Director of Special Education (DoSE) Institute (2019): English Learners (ELs) with Disabilities PowerPoint and English Learners with Disabilities Critical Fact Sheet 

The Parent and Family Rights and Parent and Family Resources webpages contain information on the special education process and links to additional resources and organizations focused on supporting families and individuals with disabilities.

The District Guide for the English Learners Program provides guidance for all districts in developing, maintaining, and improving an instructional program for English Learners that meets state and federal regulations.

English Lea​rners: This webpage includes a variety of resources to support English Learners with disabilities from the United States (U.S.) Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) including the Q&A Regarding Inclusion of English Learners with Disabilities in English Language Proficiency Assessments and Title III Annual Measurable Achievement and the Dear Colleague Letter on IEP Translation. 

Multitiered System of Supports for English Learners: These presentations and briefs, from OSEP, focus on tiered approaches to improving reading and language outcomes for ELs. These projects support the development and implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive models for multitiered system of supports for ELs, including those with or at risk of having a disability.

Kentucky Coalition for English Learners (KY-CEL): KY-CEL provides networking, professional learning and advocating opportunities to improve the learning experiences for ELs. Resources specific to ELs with disabilities include:

• Considerations for Struggling English Learners: Differentiating between Disability and Cultural/Language Differences​​​​
• Should I Refer?

Tools and Resources for Addressing English Learners with Disabilities : This chapter of the English Learner Tool Kit is intended to help state and local education agencies meet their obligations to ELs. This resource includes questions Admissions and Release Committees (ARCs) may want to consider for identification and evaluation, as well as tools and resources for referral, identification and assessment. This tool kit should be read in conjunction with the Dear Colleague Letter on “English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents," (2015) . 

The following resources from WIDA provide information and research on supporting ELs with Disabilities:

• WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations​​​
• WIDA Advancing ALTELLA- Alternate English Language Learning Assessment Project
• Identifying Multilingual Learners with Specific Learning Disabilities: Data, Advice and Resources for School Teams​ ​
  
• Providing ELLs with Disabilities Access to Complex Language

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