Supporting Bilingual Children Through Individual Learning Plans (ILPs)

Written By Sarah Yeung

When a bilingual child needs support at school, language and culture matter.

When schools develop an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), it is important that the child’s language background, communication profile, and cultural identity are properly considered. Without this understanding, bilingual children can sometimes be misunderstood, and their learning needs may not be accurately identified.

A bilingual child may appear quiet, hesitant, or “behind” in English at school, while actually having strong communication skills in their home language. This is why culturally responsive and language-informed ILPs are so important.

An effective ILP should not only support academic learning, it should also support meaningful participation, communication, wellbeing, and inclusion across the school environment.

What Is an ILP?

An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is a individualised plan developed by the school to help support a student’s learning and participation. It outlines:

  • the child’s strengths

  • areas of need

  • learning goals

  • classroom adjustments

  • strategies and supports

The goal of an ILP is not to “label” a child, but to help create better access to learning and participation within the school environment.

Schools will often develop ILPs collaboratively with:

  • teachers

  • parents/caregivers

  • wellbeing staff

  • allied health professionals

  • the student themselves where appropriate

Why Bilingual Children Need Special Consideration in ILPs

Bilingual children learn and use language differently from monolingual children. Their language skills may be spread across two languages, and they may not demonstrate the same vocabulary, grammar, or communication patterns in each language.

For example, a child may:

  • speak confidently at home but become quieter at school

  • understand more than they can express in English

  • switch between languages depending on the environment

  • need additional processing time when learning in the second language

These differences are often part of typical bilingual development, not necessarily signs of a language disorder.

This is why it is important that ILPs for bilingual children consider:

  • both languages, not just English

  • cultural and family background

  • communication across different settings

  • whether difficulties are due to language learning or an underlying disorder

After all these considerations, it may be determined that a formal Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is not required. Instead, the student may benefit more from targeted support through a specialised English as an Additional Language (EAL) program, particularly where language differences related to bilingualism and English exposure are the primary area of need rather than an underlying learning difficulty or disability.

Difference vs Disorder: Why This Matters

One of the biggest risks for bilingual children is that language difference may be mistaken for language disorder.

A bilingual child learning English as an additional language may:

  • make grammar errors

  • use shorter sentences

  • need extra time to process instructions

  • appear less confident speaking English

These patterns can be typical when learning another language.

If a child is assessed only in English, schools may not see the child’s full communication strengths. This can lead to:

  • inappropriate goals

  • unrealistic expectations

  • unnecessary concern

  • reduced confidence and participation

A culturally responsive ILP should aim to understand the whole child across all languages and environments.

What Should a Good ILP for a Bilingual Child Include?

1. A Clear Language Profile

An ILP should clearly document:

  • languages spoken

  • exposure to each language

  • who speaks each language at home

  • preferred communication methods

  • strengths across both languages

Simply writing “speaks another language” is not enough.

2. Strengths Across BOTH Languages

Bilingual children may show different strengths in different languages.

For example:

  • strong storytelling skills in their home language

  • strong social communication skills during play

  • strong non-verbal communication

  • strong comprehension despite limited English output

ILPs should recognise these strengths rather than focusing only on what the child cannot yet do in English.

3. Functional and Meaningful Goals

Goals should support participation and communication in everyday school activities.

Examples may include:

  • asking for help in the classroom

  • participating in group discussions

  • following classroom routines

  • using visual supports independently

  • building confidence communicating with peers

Goals should be realistic, meaningful, and supportive of the child’s overall participation and wellbeing.

4. Appropriate Classroom Adjustments

Adjustments should help reduce barriers to learning.

Examples may include:

  • visual supports

  • reduced language load

  • extra processing time

  • visual schedules

  • gestures and modelling

  • simplified instructions

  • opportunities to demonstrate learning in different ways

Importantly, classroom adjustments need to be practical and achievable for staff to implement consistently.

5. Cultural and Family Collaboration

Families play an important role in helping schools understand:

  • the child’s communication skills at home

  • cultural expectations

  • language use across settings

  • strengths not always visible at school

Parents should feel included and respected during the ILP process.

Should Families Stop Speaking Their Home Language?

No! Research consistently shows that supporting a child’s home language benefits:

  • communication development

  • family relationships

  • identity and belonging

  • long-term learning outcomes

Families should not be encouraged to stop using their home language simply because a child is learning English.

Supporting the home language does not “confuse” children.

How Allied Health Professionals Can Help

Schools will often use a combination of classroom observations, school-based assessments, and reports from external professionals when developing an ILP.

Speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, paediatricians, and other allied health professionals can support by:

  • identifying barriers to learning and participation

  • differentiating language difference from disorder

  • recommending appropriate supports and adjustments

  • assisting with meaningful goal setting

  • providing practical classroom strategies

At our clinic, our team works collaboratively with families and schools to support children’s communication, learning, participation, and wellbeing in ways that are neurodiversity-affirming, culturally responsive, and strengths-based.

Final Thought

An ILP for a bilingual child should never focus only on what the child cannot yet do in English.

When schools recognise a child’s full communication profile, including their languages, culture, strengths, and learning style, children are more likely to feel understood, included, and supported in their learning journey.

Every child deserves access to learning in a way that respects who they are and how they communicate.

If you want a template or examples of a bilingual ILP, head over to the Resource Page of the website.

References:

Sarah Yeung
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