Assessing Multilingual Preschoolers with Disabilities
Originally presented by Xigrid Sto-Boykin on 11/3/25.
PLEASE NOTE: STAR NET Region II and VI is unable to award credit for viewing this recording. Description: For a multilingual preschooler to have a true disability, they need to show difficulties across their two languages. In this session, we will discuss how to identify disabilities in multilingual preschoolers, how to conduct evaluations and assessments that correctly capture multilingual preschoolers’ skills, how to partner with interpreters, what data to gather, and more. This session will include resources, case studies, and engaging discussions to ensure that educators and therapists are confident when assessing multilingual preschoolers with suspected disabilities, even when they do not speak their language.
Learner Objectives:
1. Define the criteria that multilingual preschoolers need to have to be considered to have a true disability.
2. Explain best practices for ensuring that multilingual preschoolers with suspected disabilities are assessed in valid ways.
3. Provide an example of a type of assessment that can be used to gather information about multilingual preschoolers’ communication skills.
4. Describe two strategies for ensuring that interpreters are well equipped to support educators and therapists that do not speak children’s language.
