Assessment of Learning Disabilities in migrant children: Lessons from a mobile unit in Greece

Abstract This study aimed at documenting real-world challenges encountered by interdisciplinary professionals in conducting assessments for learning disabilities as well as generating evidence to inform policy reforms focused on culturally responsive assessment protocols for non-native Greek-speaking children (MIS 5162111). The HMU Interdisciplinary Mobile Unit is a field-based service designed to bring psychoeducational support to under-resourced areas of Crete. Each multidisciplinary team includes a psychologist, school nurse, special educator, speech therapist, and social worker. The unit conducts on-site assessments in schools using standardized protocols aligned with KEDASY procedures. Between 2020 and 2023, the unit reached 20 school sites. Assessments included cognitive screening (WISC-V GR), developmental history interviews with parents, teacher consultations and collaborative case discussions. Of the 272 children assessed, 18 (6.7%) were migrant children (primarily Albanian and Arabic) whose mother tongue was not Greek. Formal assessment could not be completed due to language barriers and the absence of validated tools in their native languages. This gap raises the risk of mislabeling language acquisition challenges as learning disabilities or, conversely, missing genuine learning needs. Qualitative observations and family interviews also revealed elevated emotional distress, low self-esteem, and experiences of social exclusion among affected children. Families reported confusion, frustration, and disengagement from school systems due to language and institutional barriers. The experience of the Mobile Unit highlights deep structural inequities in Greece's current learning disability assessment framework. Migrant children are excluded from diagnostic procedures due to the lack of multilingual tools and adapted protocols. Reforms are needed to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments and ensure compliance with national inclusion laws. Key messages • Migrant children face exclusion from learning disability assessment due to lack of culturally adapted tools. • Inclusive, multilingual assessment protocols are urgently needed to ensure fair access for all children.