Barriers to the success of culturally and linguistically diverse student with special needs

Abstract

This article urges that we are aware that there is a dearth of research in the area of educating culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students without disabilities, but that it becomes even more important to recognize the needs of educating CLD students with disabilities in order to challenge current special education and inclusionary polices for their inherent exclusionary practices (FERRI; CONNOR, 2005). Only then can we aim to educate “all” children for participation in a democracy (GIROUX; SCHMIDT, 2004; FURMAN; SHIELDS, 2003). In this article, Macrine outlines the major challenges faced by CLD students with disabilities and how these challenges create barriers to school success and prevent success after school.   She argues that, it is imperative that we interrupt these practices and to furnish a different “way of talking that can unpack, inform, critique but still imagine what could be” (FINE, 1991, p. xiii) in the education of CLD students.