To empower our members in developing inclusive educational environments, each semester we offer multiple weekly sessions, including workshops, legal seminars, panel discussions, and more!

In Part 1 of this two-part series*, we will cover identification of students with developmental language disorders, particularly with a multilingual lens. Racialized multilingual learners and ‘English language learners’ are disproportionately identified and labeled as experiencing development language disorders. Moreover, students at the intersections of multilingualism and disability are often read through two distinct–yet similarly standardized–systems: language “proficiency” and intellectual “capacity.” Together, we’ll explore the metrics of cognitive and linguistic normativity, as conceived by standardized assessments and policies, and seek to redefine language competence as variable and multimodal. In addition to a more nuanced understanding of assessments, attendees will walk away with linguistic supports that can provide a more dynamic and holistic perspective of individual learners’ language use in the context of assessment and regardless of ability status.