Think about some of the issues that special education teachers must face as the number of students from cultural and linguistic backgrounds increases in our schools across the nation. Answer the questions below.

Questions/Discussion Topics:

1. How might you ensure that, as a teacher, you evaluate a student who has a disability in ways that do not discriminate against his or her cultural or linguistic background?
2. How can special education teachers who are monolingual meet the educational needs of linguistically diverse students? Discuss the availability of services in your community that may be supportive to this teacher.
3. What can administrators representing a school do to create a comfortable learning environment for all students (special education and general education)?
4. Address recommendations that university professors should include in their curriculum for special education teacher trainer programs in order to better prepare new teachers for working with students from diverse backgrounds.
5. What are some societal stereotypes often associated with special education and bilingual education?
6. What language of instruction should a non-English-speaking child with a disability receive if living in the United States? When should this student move from a bilingual classroom to an all-English class setting?
7. What role can technology play in providing special education services to students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds?