Multilingualism in a Montessori Preschool: A Study of Language Variability in a Linguistically Diverse Preschool Programme

Important initiatives in health care include (a) improving access to services for disadvantaged populations, (b) providing equal access for individuals with limited or non-English proficiency, and (c) ensuring cultural competence of health-care providers to facilitate effective services for individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, 2001). This article provides a brief overview of the use of technology by speech-language pathologists and audiologists to extend their services to underserved populations who live in remote geographic areas, or when cultural and linguistic differences impact service delivery.

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Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations: Serving GLBT Families in Our Schools

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds16.1.11 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 11-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ashley M. Frazier

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Cultural Competence ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse ◽

Diverse Populations ◽

Cultural Issues ◽

Willingness To Disclose ◽

Bisexual And Transgender ◽

Societal Changes

Abstract School speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are increasingly likely to serve children of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) parents or GLBT students as cultural and societal changes create growth in the population and increased willingness to disclose sexual orientation. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has a progressive nondiscrimination statement that includes sexual orientation as a protected status and strongly urges the membership to develop cultural competence as a matter of ethical service delivery. The purpose of this article is to describe cultural competence in relation to GLBT culture, discuss GLBT parent and student cultural issues as they are important in parent-school or student-school relations, and to provide suggestions for increasing sensitivity in these types of interactions. A list of resources is provided.

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Students Involvement in Multilingual and Multicultural Community Services

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds22.2.77 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 77-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ying-Chiao Tsao

Keyword(s):

Service Learning ◽

Cultural Competence ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Community Services ◽

Cultural Humility ◽

Self Assessment ◽

Multicultural Community ◽

Raising Awareness ◽

Hands On ◽

Teaching Learning

Promoting cultural competence in serving diverse clients has become critically important across disciplines. Yet, progress has been limited in raising awareness and sensitivity. Tervalon and Murray-Garcia (1998) believed that cultural competence can only be truly achieved through critical self-assessment, recognition of limits, and ongoing acquisition of knowledge (known as “cultural humility”). Teaching cultural humility, and the value associated with it remains a challenging task for many educators. Challenges inherent in such instruction stem from lack of resources/known strategies as well as learner and instructor readiness. Kirk (2007) further indicates that providing feedback on one's integrity could be threatening. In current study, both traditional classroom-based teaching pedagogy and hands-on community engagement were reviewed. To bridge a gap between academic teaching/learning and real world situations, the author proposed service learning as a means to teach cultural humility and empower students with confidence in serving clients from culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds. To provide a class of 51 students with multicultural and multilingual community service experience, the author partnered with the Tzu-Chi Foundation (an international nonprofit organization). In this article, the results, strengths, and limitations of this service learning project are discussed.

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Practical Resources for Provision of Services to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Users of AAC

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds22.1.25 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 25-39

Author(s):

Elena Dukhovny ◽

E. Betsy Kelly

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Intervention Strategies ◽

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Flexible Systems ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Provision Of Services

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, over 20% of Americans speak a language other than English in the home, with Spanish, Chinese, and French being the languages most commonly spoken, aside from English. However, few augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems offer multilingual support for individuals with limited functional speech. There has been much discussion in the AAC community about best practices in AAC system design and intervention strategies, but limited resources exist to help us provide robust, flexible systems for users who speak languages other than English. We must provide services that take into consideration the unique needs of culturally and linguistically diverse users of AAC and help them reach their full communication potential. This article outlines basic guidelines for best practices in AAC design and selection, and presents practical applications of these best practices to multilingual/multicultural clients.

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Health Communication: Implications for Diverse Populations

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds18.1.12 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 12-19

Author(s):

Amy Hasselkus

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Communication ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Good Health ◽

The United States ◽

Poor Health ◽

Health Care Decisions ◽

Diverse Backgrounds ◽

Health Related

The need for improved communication about health-related topics is evident in statistics about the health literacy of adults living in the United States. The negative impact of poor health communication is huge, resulting in poor health outcomes, health disparities, and high health care costs. The importance of good health communication is relevant to all patient populations, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Efforts are underway at all levels, from individual professionals to the federal government, to improve the information patients receive so that they can make appropriate health care decisions. This article describes these efforts and discusses how speech-language pathologists and audiologists may be impacted.

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Assessment 360°: A Panoramic Framework for Assessing English Language Learners

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds17.2.37 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 37-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Nancy Lewis ◽

Nancy Castilleja ◽

Barbara J. Moore ◽

Barbara Rodriguez

Keyword(s):

English Language Learners ◽

Language Learners ◽

English Language ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Assessment Process ◽

Assessment Practices ◽

Her Family ◽

Diverse Student ◽

Many Sources

This issue describes the Assessment 360° process, which takes a panoramic approach to the language assessment process with school-age English Language Learners (ELLs). The Assessment 360° process guides clinicians to obtain information from many sources when gathering information about the child and his or her family. To illustrate the process, a bilingual fourth grade student whose native language (L1) is Spanish and who has been referred for a comprehensive language evaluation is presented. This case study features the assessment issues typically encountered by speech-language pathologists and introduces assessment through a panoramic lens. Recommendations specific to the case study are presented along with clinical implications for assessment practices with culturally and linguistically diverse student populations.

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