The Educational Psychology Consultation and assessment role with bilingual learners through the lens of Gaelicmedium Education service delivery

This article is a literature review and reflection on how an English-speaking Educational Psychologist (EP) without Gaelic language approached the challenge of identifying and supporting learners’ Additional Support Needs (ASN) in Gaelic-medium Education (GME) settings. Literature regarding bilingual learning and language acquisition is reviewed and discussed in the context of GME, identifying factors to consider primarily in Consultation and interpreting assessment information including orthography, distributed vocabulary, code-switching, and working memory. Implications for EP practice are considered, including the importance of knowing the evidence base regarding bilingual children and young people with ASN when facilitating discussions to support families and professionals regarding a suitable education and support for the child or young person. The importance of providing equitable service to bilingual learners and the challenges in providing this are discussed.