The cognitive assessment of limited-English-proficient children: current problems and practical recommendations

Children from limited-English-proficient backgrounds are frequently assessed for the purposes of classification, educational placement decisions, and intervention planning. Problems inherent in the process of identifying their intellectual strengths and weaknesses are discussed, including questionable special education referrals, the use of English as the language of testing, the use of interpreters, the administration of normed tools, and the use of translated tests. Among the practical recommendations explored are prereferral activities, assessment of language dominance and proficiency, training of bilingual personnel, the integration of multiple assessment tools, adaptation of available measures, and alternative assessment models.