Reply to Bilingualism, Learning Disabilities, Special Needs, Immersion School etc.

Forum Index » Kids With Special Needs and Disabilities

Reply to "Bilingualism, Learning Disabilities, Special Needs, Immersion School etc."

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]But at a school that I am very familiar with (LAMB PCS in D.C.), over 13% of the kids are on IEPs, acc to the data recently released on charter schools.  They have pull-outs, push-ins, etc.  Kids have diagnoses of ADHD, ADD, aspergers, apraxia, OT/PT issues, sensory, etc. and who knows what else.  Those kids are excelling in English and Spanish -- the Spanish angle is not really a problem.

Some kids (NT and SN) are clearly better at the second language than others -- it may have more to do with two languages being spoken in the home or just a natural ability or affinity for language.  But if you look at test scores, even broken out for special ed kids, they are doing well.  It can be done -- maybe it's program specific where your child had trouble, and not the actual bilingual immersion piece of the puzzle.

The first years of a bilingual program can be tough for any child, anxiety, speech problems, behavior problems or NT.  Some of the most confident, verbal NT kids are overwhelmed when they can't immediately express themselves the way they want to due to the second language -- I think this is normal.  It takes years for it all to gel.  I guess what I'm saying is that the kids start to get it in 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade, and learning in two languages becomes normal to them, special needs or not.  It's no longer a cause for anxiety, it's just what's done.  Miss Flores speaks Spanish, Mrs. McGillicutty speaks English-- not a problem.

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics