How Is Miranda Different From Mexican-American Parents In Spanish

born children lived in poverty in the U.S. (Camarota, 2001). “The primary reason for this is that a very large share of Mexican immigrants lack a formal education” (Camarota, 2001, p. 47). Statistics from the Center for Immigration Studies indicate that the average income for adult Mexican immigrants is less than half the income of U.S. born workers (Camarota, 2001). With the location of the Rio Grande Valley right next to the Mexican border, the school districts in this area are heavily populated with English language learners. According to Linn and Hemmer (2011), a rate of “21% of elementary and secondary students spoke a language other than English at home. Of these, approximately two million, or 75%, spoke Spanish.” (p. 1). In addition, school districts along the Texas-Mexico border are considered at-risk for having English language learners overrepresented in the special education programs. According to Artiles and Ortiz (2002), research shows that “English language learners with the least amount of language support are most likely to be referred to special education” (p. 1). Often the children with the least support are from poor families. Another problems consists of assessments methods, both diagnostic and state mandated, that are inappropriate for English language learners. Even if assessments are provided in the child’s native language, this

As our schools are becoming increasingly diverse, professionals are working more with families who speak languages different from their own. When working with families who speak a native language it is important that they are able to understand what is being said during an IEP meeting, which often requires an interpreter. Members of the IEP team should make sure “…that the family and the interpreter are speaking the same language…but the skills and experiences of the interpreters are equally essential” (Lo, 2012, p. 17). Many interpreters may not be familiar with certain terms used in special education, which was the case in Lo’s (2008) study on Chinese families’ involvement in the IEP process, and should collaborate with the special education teacher to become familiar with these terms. Often, inaccurate interpretations can cause misunderstandings between schools and families, which can hinder

“How did Lupe Quintanilla, retarded non learner, become Dr. Quintanilla?” (674) The essay, “The Professor is a Dropout” by Beth Johnson, tells the account of a young woman from Mexico, who in an effort to help her three children succeed, overcomes numerous obstacles to achieve goals that at one point in her childhood most would have considered impossible. Lupe Quintanilla is labeled as slow in the first grade and subsequently drops out. She, continued her life, marrying and eventually having a family. When she learns that her three children have been given a similar diagnosis and labeled as slow she takes action to ensure they don’t endure a similar fate. Lupe knows that if only she could learn English, possibly she could change all their lives.

A learning disability is a general term that refers to a heterogenous group of disorders that influence a student’s ability to perform tasks. Persons with learning disabilities may often have difficulties in understanding or using spoken or written language. This condition may manifest itself as a difficulty in listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling or performing mathematical calculations (IDEAI, 2004). Learning disability has an impact on the students academic and work performance . Research has documented challenges faced by both Latino with learning disability and other disabilities in both education and in their capacity to remain employed and complete college..

In this internship activity, I first researched Chapter 89 the Adaptations for Special Populations, Subchapter BB. I reviewed the policies as required in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 29, Subchapter B that ensures equal educational opportunities for every student in the state who has a home language other than English and who is identified as an English language learner. It is important to know the requirements and competencies for this program. I also became aware of the exceptions and waivers a district must submit a waiver for if it is unable to provide and bilingual education or English as a second language program. Once understanding the criteria and program design, I attended and observed an Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) meeting where each student’s level of proficiency as discussed and educational goals were put in place for each student to master English language skills across all content areas.

Jayla is a first grade student attending Lake Forest Elementary Schools of the Arts and Sciences. She participates with non-disabled peers in the general education class more than 79% of the time. Jayla is a caring and loving person who is concerned about her family, little brother and others. Although she is loving and caring , she continues to struggle with interacting appropriately with her peers and adults. She curses on a regular basis, hit other students, and falsely accused others talking about her. When focus, Jayla is able to read, write , spell and work well with minimal assistance.

Paula is a 24 year-old Hispanic women who is verbal and ambulatory. She is diagnosed with mild intellectual disability and Autism. She is able to maintain good eye contact and communicates by using a three to four word sentence. She demonstrates the ability to vocalize her needs and wants without limitations. She speaks in a clear and high-pitched voice. Spanish is the primary language spoken at home, but Paula prefers to speak English. She will get upset if Spanish is spoken to her. She presents no physical limitations, is able to read, write, and complete math at a 4th grade level. Paula is can prepare basic meals, complete general chores around the house, and is independent with all self-care needs. She is

MSTT stated working with the family identifying if they see value in Miguel attending school and if so what are the issues Sherrlly is facing getting Miguel to attend school. Sherrlly stated she clearly sees the value in a good education because of the mistake she made quitting school when she was 16 and is know struggling to maintain a job because of her run-ins with the law which lead to her getting a felony on her record. Miguel clearly stated he does not see the value of attending school because he feels as if he does not need to attend school. MSTT assess why Miguel feels the way he does and address with Sherrlly what strategies she have used to try and get Miguel to attend school.

The mother explained she cannot read or write in the English Language, but her son’s older siblings can and try to help the younger sibling. The two older siblings have been very successful throughout their educational experience and have not struggled as the younger. She stated that her son as no desire to read at home, and completing homework is an everyday struggle with him. This student is in Tier 3 of the Response to Intervention (Mesmer & Mesmer, 2008) process, and has been referred for testing for special education services.

Ella is a fifteen-year-old girl who suffered from a significant brain injury when she was four, which drastically changed her life. She enjoys attending school but “struggles to understand instructions given to her by teachers and has difficulty concentrating for long periods” (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2014, p. 234). The special education team at Ella’s high school has been committed to her success in the general education curriculum. She told her special educator, Mr. Allen, that she has a desire to move to the city and enroll in an acting school. However, Ella’s parents are concerned about how she will cope with others and stressful situations. Let’s find out what her future holds.

Alison’s story is the perfect example of what many families must go through when faced with the possibility of having a child diagnosed with a learning disability. Alison was not diagnosed with visual and auditory dyslexia until the summer before entering college. However, while still a toddler, her symptoms had been brought to her mother’s attention by her sister’s teacher. Alison’s mother then noticed her habits in repeating words incorrectly and how Alison would need tactile clues to follow directions. At the recommendation of her kindergarten teacher, Alison was tested for learning disabilities and the results from the school psychologists were that she was acting stubborn or disobedient. Her family

Ella- 4th grade- Lacks foundations concepts in literacy and math. Has language-based learning disabilities (mainly vocabulary) and has difficulties with abstract thinking skills. Struggles with quantitative reasoning skills in math (greater than, less than). She computes sums of money and makes change. Has difficulties with word problems.

Paula is a 40 year-old single mother. She is a pretty active Church member that volunteers in Children’s church when possible. She is a paralegal who recently left a very demanding job due to discrimination. She realized her need to return to school in order to get her law degree. Her desire to return to school is due to a consistent request for legal assistance. Paula often helps friends and family with law issues because they can’t afford legal counsel. Paula loves people; she is a giver, and has always been a high achiever. A single mother of two, with a bi-racial daughter who turns two in September, and a nine year old son who has been diagnosed with defiance disorder. Her daughter already shows signs of giftedness, accelerated motor skills and the ability to conceptualize well beyond her years.

Background: Kim (a pseudonym) is a five and half year-old girl that comes from a family of 6 children. Kim has three brothers—ages 14, 6, 8—and two younger sisters—ages 4 and 3. In addition to her own family, Kim is currently living in a domestic violence shelter with seven other families in an urban neighborhood. Kim’s mother is a 30 year-old Caucasian woman, originally from Pennsylvania and her father is of Latino descent and was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Based on my conversations with Kim’s mother, the six children do not speak Spanish (though it remain unclear why this is the case). Kim and her two younger sisters attend a Head Start Preschool in the neighborhood. Based on my observation of Kim, she appears sociable, friendly, knows how to follow directions, and is self-regulating. As a result of my previous observations, I believe of all of her siblings, Kim is the most aware and engaged with her surroundings. For example, she enjoys having conversations about school, her activities, and family with the shelter staff. She also does not hesitate to ask questions about her environment with anyone. Because of Kim’s open-minded with working with others, I believe this helps her gain a better understanding of her surroundings. Lastly, it is important to highlight that Kim at times struggles with pronouncing words due to missing two of her front teeth.

I have selected a student that for all intents and purposes, I will call her Zaire who is 16 years old. She is from Mexico City. However, she has dual citizenship because her parents are both from Denver. It kind of surprised me when I found out she spoke minimal English because she looks like she is from Northern Ireland, with red hair and blue eyes. Her parents had been missionaries and lived in various parts of Mexico until about 3 years ago. According to Zaire, her family spent roughly 16 years living in Mexico returning only long enough to renew Visas. Her mom and dad spoke English in the home while they lived in Mexico however her education was in Spanish and because of that she knows very basic conversational English. Her ACCESS score is a level 3 meaning that her English skills are developing and she requires visual supports to help her fully summarize key concepts in class. She has two brothers one older and one younger. Zaire’s older brother was born here and started school before the family moved to Mexico. He is 19 and speaks fluent English; he came with her to back to school night, instead of her parents. Her younger brother was born after they returned to Denver and has not started his education yet. I have not met him but, she stated that he can speak both English and Spanish. I have not had the pleasure of meeting her parents. They seem to travel frequently for work and her older brother is in charge of most of her daily activities.