Is My Bilingual Child Struggling in School? When an Evaluation Can Help

Many children in Utah grow up speaking one language at home and another at school. Being bilingual is a strength. But when a child is struggling with reading, focus, or behavior, parents and teachers often wonder: is it just the language, or is something else going on?

Two common mistakes

• Blaming the language for everything. Real learning differences or ADHD can be overlooked for years because “they’re still learning English.”
• Mistaking language learning for a disorder. Normal stages of learning a second language, like a quiet period or mixing languages, can be confused with a learning or speech problem.

Both mistakes can cost a child valuable time and support.

Signs it may be worth a closer look

• Difficulties show up in both languages, not just in English.
• Your child is falling further behind classmates with similar language backgrounds.
• Reading, writing, or math stay very hard despite extra help.
• There are attention, memory, or behavior concerns at home and at school.
• Your child seems frustrated, anxious, or says they’re “dumb.”

Mixing English and Spanish in the same sentence is normal for bilingual kids. On its own, it’s not a sign of a problem.

What a good evaluation looks like

A careful psychological evaluation for a bilingual child should:

• Assess in both languages, or in the child’s stronger language.
• Take language history into account: when each language was learned and how it’s used.
• Gather input from parents and teachers.
• Look at the whole child, including attention, learning, emotions, and stress.
• End with clear recommendations you can share with the school.

Working with the school

You have the right to ask your child’s public school about an evaluation for special education services, and to receive information in your language. A private evaluation can add a second, detailed perspective to that process.

NeuroCare PI offers bilingual psychological evaluations in Salt Lake City, in English and Spanish, with clear, plain-language reports. Request an appointment and we’ll explain the process.