Dual Identification: Trajectories to English Proficiency for English Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background There are an increasing number of English Learners (EL) served in schools, including children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, little is known about students who receive school-based services as EL and under autism eligibility. Purpose & Methods The present study aimed to examine the sociodemographic characteristics, time to English Language Proficient status by survival analysis, and predictors of English fluency utilizing a logistic regression for dually identified EL and autism eligible students in a large urban school district during the 2011–2019 academic school years. Results Overall, dually identified students (N = 849) educated in segregated settings (N = 372) became English proficient at lower rates and at older ages than students included in general education (N = 477). Conclusion Students placed in segregated special education classrooms were significantly less likely to achieve English Language Proficient classification. The present study begins to illustrate the time to English proficiency of dually identified students and the potential impact it has on their educational opportunities.