Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students Labeled as having Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students often are not overtly aware of their cultures until they find themselves in a different one. The cultural capital students may have accumulated, at times, does not necessarily contextually match the culture of the classroom or school, possibly resulting in diminished returns academically and socially and an inability to acclimate to the dominant culture. The hope is that with time, all cultures will synthesize into one inclusive, nondominant culture that welcomes divergent thinking and behaviors. This chapter focuses on cultural capital and its possible effects in education, the identification of CLD students, and how interventions and responsiveness to intervention (RtI) may improve academic and social outcomes.

Citation

Crevecoeur, Y.C. and Obiakor, F.E. (2013), "Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students Labeled as having Learning Disabilities", Bakken, J.P., Obiakor, F.E. and Rotatori, A.F. (Ed.) Learning Disabilities: Identification, Assessment, and Instruction of Students with LD (Advances in Special Education, Vol. 24), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 93-108. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0270-4013(2013)0000024008