Promoting Social and Cultural Competence for Students from Diverse Backgrounds with Disabilities

Amidst diversity in today’s schools, challenges for students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds are growing. These students must acquire necessary social and cultural skills in order to navigate contrasting value systems and educational expectations despite potential cognitive and learning deficits. The combination of teacher bias and educational deficits imposes psychological stressors that inhibit the learning process. Acquisition of social-emotional and cultural competence relies heavily on teacher expertise. This article examines three key barriers (social interaction, social competence, and cultural competence) and proposes a line of inquiry for teachers to plan strategies and interventions that target sociallyvalid and culturally relevant competencies for CLD students with disabilities.