Working with Children Experiencing Speech and Language Disorders in a Bilingual Context: A Home Language Approach

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.

Table of Contents

Front Matter

• List of contributors
• List of tables
• List of figures
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• List of acronyms and abbreviations

1. Introduction
2. Definitions and terminology
3. Differentiating language disorder from language difference
4. Working alongside interpreters
5. Translation protocol
6. Language assessment and intervention in home language
7. Speech sound disorder in a bilingual context
8. Alternative and augmentative communication (Lizzie Sadiku, AAC Consultant; Katherine Small, AAC Consultant; Suzanne Martin, AAC Consultant)
9. Cultural inquisitiveness and the bilingual service delivery checklist
10. Barriers to working with bilingual children and how to overcome them (Dr Carol Stow)
11. Resources

"For many practitioners, working with bilingual children can seem daunting. This book goes a long way towards dispelling such worries by providing detailed practical information and guidance on how to proceed while also giving clear explanations as to why certain approaches should be taken. Examples of assessment pro-formas, questionnaires and charts (for example for working out the amount of interpreter time needed) are provided which should be invaluable. Additionally, it is recognised that many SLTs will work in situations where providing an equitable service is challenging; the book empowers practitioners to fight for necessary resources within the context of current societal issues around diversity, equality, and racism."
- Carolyn Letts, Senior Research Investigator, Newcastle University

"This timely and important book should be read by all paediatric Speech and Language Therapists/Speech Pathologists in practice and in training. In "Working with Children Experiencing Speech and Language Disorders in a Bilingual Context: A home language approach" Dr Sean Pert provides extensive and highly practical advice for clinical practice covering issue of assessment, diagnosis and intervention in language and speech sound disorders. Importantly this book unpacks aspects of best practice which are rarely documented, such as working with interpreters and the use of AAC for languages other than English when many systems and devices are designed with English only in mind. Perhaps most important however is the powerful challenge Dr Pert poses our profession to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that much of our current practice for bilingual families is systematically and institutionally racist. Together with an analysis of the barriers which need to be overcome and a call for anti-racist and culturally inquisitive practice this book provides the profession with a platform and tools to move forward towards equity and social justice for children experiencing Speech and Language Disorders in a Bilingual Context."
- Cristina McKean, BSc MSc PhD, Professor of Child Language Development and Disorders, Newcastle University

"The publication of this book is timely and urgent, as it presents an accessible tool for working in a bilingual context, reflecting on the interaction between the needs of our society and the requirement for SLT services to develop and evolve. This book is an essential resource for SLT courses and for clinicians developing extra training and extra materials."
- Maria Garraffa, Associate Professor in Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, UK