How Brain-Based Research Can Rewire Education for Bi/Multilingual Children with Special Educational Needs in Hong Kong, India, and the Philippines

Abstract

<p>Recent brain-based research has made significant contributions to our understanding of the strengths and challenges of children with special educational needs (SEN), especially those with developmental dyslexia (DD). Growing evidence suggests that multiple neural mechanisms are associated with various manifestations of cognitive and linguistic weaknesses in children with DD, and that overlapping and language-specific brain regions are involved in oral language processing and reading in different languages. Nevertheless, how such brain-based evidence can inform current educational practice and policy remains underexplored. This issue becomes even more significant for Asian children growing up in a bi/multilingual environment, such as Hong Kong, India, and the Philippines. Thus, in this chapter, we (1) analyze language use and language education policy in each of the aforementioned societies; (2) synthesize neural evidence pertaining to speech, language, and word reading processing among bi/multilingual children with and without DD; (3) discuss challenges facing clinicians and educators when working with DD children in a bi/multilingual context; and (4) provide a framework integrating brain-based research with clinical and educational practice in Asian societies.<br></p>