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This document discusses strategies for meeting the special education needs of Colorado students who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) and who may have a disability. It begins with a case example of the challenges of serving CLD children with disabilities, a glossary of acronyms and key terminology, and basic principles underlying professional development for meeting the needs of students who are CLD. Section 1 provides information on legislative and judicial mandates concerning CLD students and special education and provides an overview of special education in Colorado. Section 2 outlines steps to identify and assess referral of CLD students to special education. Section 3 provides guidelines for evaluating a CLD student with a suspected disability, including assessment guidelines for cognitive functioning, speech and language functioning, academic functioning, social/emotional/adaptive behavior functioning, physical functioning, transitional/life skills functioning, and for determining eligibility for students with perceptual and communicative disability. The effective use of interpreters and translators is also addressed. Appendices include information on using the student record to gather information, the family interview, classroom consultation, and basic requirements and examples for conducting a district file review. (Contains 41 references.) (CR)