A Critical Analysis of State-Level Policies Impacting Racialized Emergent Bilinguals Suspected or Labeled as Dis/abled

Purpose: The purpose of this review article is to conduct a critical analysis of state-level policies focusing on the provision of speech-language therapy and special education to children and youth who are racialized emergent bilinguals (REBs) suspected or labeled as dis/abled. Method: We analyzed the state-level policies focusing on speech-language therapy and/or special education of California, Kansas, Florida, and New York. We coded content in terms of labels used to describe REBs; the focus of states’ policies, whether the policy mentioned the provision of bilingual services, and the orientation toward bilingualism. Thematic analyses and descriptive sta-tistics were used to analyze the policies, and interrater reliability was calculated. Results: The results of this review revealed that most state-level policies con-tain English-centric, deficit-based labels to describe REBs and that most focus primarily on the classification and eligibility for dis/ability. Only one state addresses the provision of bilingual education for REBs labeled as dis/abled. The bulk of policies are underpinned by an ideology of “bilingualism as a differ-ence,” meaning that the main idea of the policies is that emerging English skills does not result in a dis/ability. Conclusions: Policies do not exist in a vacuum and are influenced by socio-political ideologies. The findings of this review highlight the urgency of applying an intersectional, justice-focused approach to the policies and practices impact-ing REBs suspected and/or labeled as disabled in the fields of speech-language therapy and special education.