Informal Neuropsychological Evaluation of English Learning Aptitude in Linguistically, Educationally, and Epidemiologically Diverse Populations

Abstract

Abstract Immigration generates the need to acquire mastery of the English language for education, employment, citizenship, and other needs. Many immigrants bring with them unrecognized neuropsychological disabilities that hinder such learning. Neuropsychologists may be asked to evaluate such clients with respect to: Disability exemptions from mandatory language instructionInstructional strategies, compensations, and accommodationsStrategies, compensations, and accommodations to facilitate optimal communication and learning in the workplace, court, health care, and other settings. Immigrants often do not have remote medical or educational records documenting historical cognitive difficulties. Many speak languages for which pertinent language ability testing is not available. Furthermore, developmental language learning disorders often have distinctive presentations in different writing systems. When documented history and formal evaluation of native language abilities are not available, informal evaluations become the next best alternative. This poster will present a suite of techniques that can facilitate this process, including: Researching the linguistics and writing system of the native languageQuestions regarding personal history that can give indications of developmental disabilities, even in the uneducatedTechniques for testing and interpreting native language literacyTechniques for evaluating English knowledge and capacityTechniques for evaluating English phonemic aptitudeTechniques for evaluating English phonemic learning aptitudeTechniques for evaluating potential for using translation technologies The poster will also outline compensations and accommodations for learning and communication that neuropsychologists can recommend for such populations.