The complexity of speech and language disorders can be daunting in a monolingual context. When working with a bilingual child assessment and intervention may appear to be even more complicated. In this book Sean Pert provides the reader with the tools needed to overcome this perception and develop skills in working in a language that they don’t share with the client.
By adopting a home language first approach the book discusses how to
identify diversity from disorder
introduce effective approaches in line with the best clinical practice
work successfully alongside interpreters
make assessments and plan interventions
set goals for therapy.
At the heart of the text is the therapist creating essential partnerships with parents and truly valuing the bilingualism, culture and identity of the child. This leads to better outcomes, not only in speech, language and communication, but also in self-esteem, mental health, social participation and educational and employment success.
The book concludes with a handy toolkit of resources including quizzes, case studies and printable extras making it the perfect resource for both experienced and newly qualified practitioners with bilingual and multilingual children in their care.
Author(s): Sean Pert
Publisher: Routledge/Speechmark
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 317
City: London
Cover
Endorsement
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of contributors
List of tables
List of figures
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of acronyms and abbreviations
1 Introduction
Introduction
The impact of COVID-19
Speech and language disorders
The practicality of a home language first approach
Mirpuri, a Pakistani-heritage language
Acknowledging and valuing linguistic diversity in the profession
Gaining confidence in working in Languages Other Than English (LOTE)
Racism in the profession and internalised racism
Diversity and families: LGBTQ+
Professional power and privilege
My personal perspective
2 Definitions and terminology
Bilingualism, Language Disorder and Speech Sound Disorder
Key learning points
Identity and ownership of terminology
Bilingualism and multilingualism
Home language, mother tongue, and “our tongue”
Mother tongue or mother language
Additional language/Second language
Language
Speech
Codeswitching
Code, code switching, or codeswitching
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) versus the defunct “language delay” diagnostic label
Language acquisition in bilingual children
One Person One Language approach (OPOL)
Potential bilingual/monolingual in a Language Other Than English (LOTE)
Language acquisition versus formal language learning
Sequential bilingualism
Simultaneous bilingualism
Heritage language
High-status and low-status languages
The impact of language status on the individual and bilingual family
Pre-literate language versus illiteracy
Accent and dialect
The evolution of terminology and speaker’s preferences
Language attrition
Cross-linguistic transfer
Populations and terminology
People who are refugees and people seeking asylum
Immigrants and migrants
3 Differentiating language disorder from language difference
Differentiating language disorder from language difference
Can children only have problems learning the additional language?
Can children only have problems learning the home language, but not the additional language?
Key components of assessment of bilingual children
Pre-referral
The referral form and conversations
Speech and language therapy referral form
Child or young person’s name
Date of birth
Language(s)
Parent 1 (and parent 2)
Parental or carer role
Main carer
Other carers
Home language(s)
The parent/carer interview (case history)
Involving a professional interpreter
Eating and drinking
Language exposure and attitude questionnaire
Assessment domains
Decision making
Language dominance
Apparently dominant in the mainstream language due to pragmatics associated with the setting and/or person assessing
Dominant in English and experiencing language attrition at home
Family language policy
4 Working alongside interpreters
Working alongside interpreters
Advantages of working alongside an interpreter
Locating a home language interpreter
Matching an interpreter
Three-way telephone interpreting and telehealth
Difference between an interpreter and a translator
Identifying the correct language and dialect
Bilingual speech and language therapy assistants and bilingual co-workers
Different types of literacy: language learning for religious purposes
Myth: bilingual SLTs don’t need an interpreter
Who should work as an interpreter?
Who is the interpreter for?
Cost of working with an interpreter
“Getting by” and informed consent
Child protection and interpreters
A timetable for SLTs working alongside interpreters
Double the time essential for equitable outcomes
Translation of written materials
Pre-literate languages (language with no written form)
Low levels of literacy associated with deprivation
Providing information, intervention, and reports via video format
The use of computerised translation apps and services
Seating position when working with an interpreter
Tips for working alongside an interpreter
5 Translation protocol
Translation styles
Taking a language sample
The use of transliteration to record home language responses
A suggested protocol
Source language
Target language
Prompts and strategies
Areas to be considered during the translation process
Differences between languages and codeswitching
Setting therapy aims – simple utterances
Summary
6 Language assessment and intervention in home language
Which language(s) to assess and provide intervention?
Case illustration – abandoning home language due to Speech Sound Disorder
Case illustration – abandoning home language due to language disorder
Why not have a bilingual approach to intervention?
Shared language/NO shared language between the professional and the family
Interpreter or bilingual SLT?
When the shared language is not the home language
Assessing language skills
Assessing home language skills and then additional language skills
Thematic roles
Using thematic roles to analyse bilingual utterances
Usage-based language acquisition
Verbal comprehension
Vocabulary and expressive language
Comorbidity
Pragmatic language skills
Informal and formal assessments of language
Language screen versus detailed language assessment
Why informal home language assessments are superior to published standardised English language assessments
Assessment of comprehension: early years
Diagnosis of SLCN, Language Difficulties, and Developmental Language Disorder
Codeswitching and the myth of word/phrase order errors
Planning therapy in home language: dynamic assessment
Delivering therapy in home language
Therapy aims: examples
Examples of therapy aims for basic spoken utterances in Mirpuri
Syntactic targets
Vocabulary targets
Grammatical targets
When to introduce English (or Welsh or Gaelic)
Monitoring progress
The impact of teachers’ attitude to home languages
7 Speech Sound Disorder in a bilingual context
Speech Sound Disorder
SSD and literacy
Phonological awareness
Literacy and phonological awareness in a bilingual context
Suprasegmental phonology
Diagnostic labels and categories
Under-representation of bilingual children with SSD
Home language speech sound assessments
Low socioeconomic status as a risk factor for SSD
Discrimination based on ethnicity/language other than English use
Causes of Speech Sound Disorder
Separate phonological systems for each language
One vocal tract – one articulatory system
Classification of Speech Sound Disorder
Articulation disorder: distortion
Articulation disorder: articulation disorder with phonological implications
Phonological Delay
Consistent (Atypical) Phonological Disorder
Inconsistent (or atypical) Phonological Disorder (IPD)
Assessment of Speech Sound Disorder
Assessment of hearing
Vocabulary assessment
Word web: semantic features
Word web: phonological features
Adaptations to word webs for bilingual children
Checklist for speech assessment of a bilingual child speaking at least one language not shared with the clinician
Notes on the checklist
Offer a choice of languages
Identify the inventory and any developmental data for the language(s)
Monolingual acquisition data is likely to differ from bilingual acquisition data and should not be applied to bilingual children unmodified
Information on the phonology of languages other than English (LOTE)
Features which may be unfamiliar to English monolingual therapists
Contrast
Speech systems examination
Purpose
Equipment
Why the application of monolingual normative data, including phonological process age of elimination is misleading
Applying phonological process age norms across languages
Phonological processes are eliminated at different ages across languages
Interaction of two languages and the impact on phonology
Same phonological diagnosis, different surface patterns in each language
Articulation disorder
Phonological disorders
Planning intervention for a bilingual child with Speech Sound Disorder
Treatment intensity (Dose)
Articulation disorder
Phonological Delay and Consistent Phonological Disorder
Inconsistent Phonological Disorder (IPD)
Summary
8 Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in a bilingual
context
Introduction
László’s story
Language availability and need
Equitable provision
Jianyu’s story
Availability of AAC
Jolanta’s story
Individual language needs
Alina’s story
Words versus phrases
Features
Language specific voices
Culturally appropriate symbols
Allocating appropriate time to ensure quality outcomes
Time taken to create an AAC system
Irtaza’s story
Assumption of literacy
Text-to-speech systems
Working with bilingual professionals
Meera’s story
Considerations for long-term implementation of aac
Ongoing support for personalisation
Language-specific therapy input
Things to consider when appraising an AAC resource in a language
you do not share with the service user and their family
9 Cultural inquisitiveness and bilingual service delivery checklist
Defining the problem
Becoming an ally
Increasing diversity in the workforce and representation
Intersectionality and LGBTQ+ people
Intersectionality and people with a disability
Socioeconomic status (social class)
Student education
Improving services by harnessing community power: Co-production
Cultural inquisitiveness
RCSLT checklist: essential Foundations for working successfully with bilingual children experiencing SLCN and their families
Sign off
Next steps
10 Barriers to working with bilingual children and how to overcome them
Barriers to working with bilingual children and how to overcome them
I’m not allowed the additional time needed
There are too many languages spoken in the local area so I will just work in the mainstream language (such as English)
We don’t have a specialist SLT in bilingualism
The child needs X language for the education system so I have to deliver assessment and intervention in that language
If there is more than one home language spoken, which language(s) should assessment and therapy be delivered in?
I can’t find a bilingual SLT or bilingual assistant/co-worker to work with this particular family
Recruiting bilingual assistants and teaching assistants
I don’t know anything about this particular language
I haven’t got any assessments
Conclusion
Resources
11 Resources
Quizzes
QUIZ 1: Language disorder in a bilingual context QUESTIONS
QUIZ 1: Language disorder in a bilingual context ANSWERS
QUIZ 2: Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) in a bilingual context QUESTIONS
QUIZ 2: Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) in a bilingual context ANSWERS
Case studies
Case study 1 – Mehboob, aged 3;6
Case study 1 – Mehboob – answers
Outcome
Case study 2 – Maria, aged 4;7
Case study 2 – Maria – answers
Outcome
Case study 3 – Peter, aged 5;6
Case study 3 – Peter – answers
Case study 4 – Aleena, aged 3 years 2 months
Case study 4 – Aleena – answers
Case study 5 – Badal, aged 7;2
Case study 5 – Badal – answers
Case study 6 – Zeeshan, aged 4;4
Case study 6 – Zeeshan – answers
Case study 7 – Daniyal, aged 4;2
Case study 7 – Daniyal – answers
Case study 8 – Aadil aged 5;3
Case study 8 – Aadil – answers
Calculating the age of diverse children and young People for the application of normative data: When is it appropriate?
Developing skills
Converting the child’s performance on this assessment to a format in which we can compare their performance to other children of their age and cultural and linguistic background
Cut-off below which the child’s performance is considered impaired or disordered
Strengths and problems of this approach
Calculating completed years, months (and days)
Examples
Reference
Information leaflet:
Speech Sound Disorder and the bilingual child
What is speech?
What is Speech Sound Disorder (SSD)?
Has bilingualism/multilingualism caused the Speech Sound Disorder?
Will the speech sound errors be the same in both/all languages?
What is the best treatment?
Other problems
Ways you can help the speech and language therapist/pathologist
Information leaflet:
Bilingual children with speech, language, and communication needs
Has using two or more language caused my child’s speech, language, or communication needs?
Should I stop speaking my home language(s) to help my child?
Won’t my child find learning two or more languages even harder because s/he has a speech, language, or communication need?
Why should I speak my home language to my child?
Will my child be confused by speaking two or more languages together?
I have been told by a professional that using two or more languages is harmful
Confidential Patient Information
Speech and language therapy Assessment report: Bilingual/multilingual
child or young person
Summary
Language(s) of assessment
Assessment scores
Severity
Diagnosis/Diagnoses by speech and language domain
Language
Speech
Articulation: single sound (phone) production and imitation
Phonology: word level production and above
Motor speech
Disorders of fluency
No diagnosis is applicable
Recommendations
Actions
Onward referrals
Actions
Background
Vocabulary – listening vocabulary
Vocabulary – naming vocabulary
Speech sounds (articulation and phonology)
Articulation
English speech sounds
Articulation: sound level
Phonology: word level and above
Delayed error patterns
Phonological awareness skills
Technical supplement
Online resources
Professional organisations’ bilingualism and multilingual pages
Podcasts and videos
Advice leaflets
Books on bilingualism
SLT web sites
Bilingual assessments and interventions
Computer tools for analysing expressive language automatically, such as Mean Length of Utterance (MLU)
Information on languages
The IPA chart and ear-training
Index
