If you feel that your ESL student has a learning disability and need to meet with the parents/guardians, one important point to consider is that the parents may refuse to listen or believe you. In some cultures, the term “special education” may refer to students with severe disabilities. If their child does not have a severe disability, then the parent will not perceive their child needing special education services.
Depending on the culture, special education students may have a very negative stigma. If this is the case, they may refuse to believe and accept that their child may need special education services.
In addition, parents may refuse to sign paperwork or give permission for special education testing, even year after year. This may occur despite poor grades that their child receives each school year.
Some parents may blame their child’s English skills as the sole reason for their lack of success in school.
As an ESL teacher, you play your role as best as you can. At every parent/teacher conference, it is important to discuss with the parents their child’s strengths in academic, social, and emotional areas. When discussing challenges, I mention how much their child would benefit from more academic support. I advocate for their child every year as long as they are my student.
If nothing occurs from our discussions, at the beginning of every school year, I voice my concerns to the student’s new classroom teacher. I have found that classroom teachers do their best to modify work and group students according to their ability whether they are officially special education students or not.
It was very difficult for me to observe my ESL students struggle every single school year without extra support that could have been given to this student if they received special education services.
My Personal Experience:
I had an ESL student whose parents never signed paperwork for special education testing even though this student really needed extra academic support. This occurred every school year. One of my other students was a twin who, in my opinion, needed special education services. It was more apparent with this particular student because she had a twin sister who did not greatly struggle academically. When the student was in fifth grade, we had a conference with the parents about their child’s difficulty and lack of academic progress. We suggested special education testing to see if she needed services. The parents refused to consider special education services for their child and now she is a senior in high school still struggling in school.