Strategies to Identify and Support English Learners with Learning Disabilities

There are no definitive processes for identifying English learner (EL) students with learning disabilities and determining the best academic supports for them. The result is that some ELs with learning disabilities are not identified and do not receive the services they need, and other ELs without learning disabilities are identified as such and receive special education services they don't need. This brief is intended to support practitioners, administrators, and policymakers to accurately identify English learners (ELs) with learning disabilities. It presents a brief summary of research and a comparison of 15 state and district guidance manuals to support more accurate processes for identifying ELs with learning disabilities.