New UA Program Translates Speech Pathology To Spanish Interpreters

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A new program at the University of Arkansas will help ensure that Hispanic children aren’t misdiagnosed with speech disorders simply because of differences in language and culture.

Edgarita Long, assistant professor of communications disorders, recently received more than $7000 from the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association Office of Multicultural Affairs. Out of more than 80 applicants nationwide, only four other institutions received the grant - George Washington University, University of Washington, Rockhurst University and a private clinic called the Center for Bilingual Speech and Language Disorders.

At the University of Arkansas, this grant funds the development of a program that will teach speech pathology students how to work with Spanish-speaking interpreters to assess a child’s language proficiency and to diagnose possible communications disorders.

Speech pathologists employ interpreters because accurate screening requires a child to be tested in his or her first language. "Children manipulate their first language more easily than any language they pick up later in life," explained Long. "They tend to be more comfortable communicating and find concepts easier to learn and comprehend in their first language."

However, a child’s ability to communicate not only depends on his or her ability to use language. Social values and cultural differences also determine the way a child speaks, listens and learns. And these, in turn, can affect the results of a speech pathology screening.

After more than five years of observing and working with Native American children, Long understands that minority cultures - particularly minority children - communicate differently than mainstream Americans. Both Native American and Hispanic children tend to use more non-verbal signals, to employ body language and to avoid eye contact with adults, especially strangers.

Each of these tendencies can cause a child to score poorly on speech pathology tests, designed to screen mainstream children who are more verbal and assertive. Unless a speech pathologist recognizes these cultural differences, minority children run greater risk of being misdiagnosed with language disorders.

For the same reason, interpreters who work with speech pathologists must be as familiar with the child’s culture as they are with the language. This familiarity enables the interpreter to identify which communication techniques are considered "normal" within the child’s social upbringing.

But even interpreters who know the language and culture can amplify the risk of misdiagnosis, according to Long. That’s because many speech pathologists use untrained interpreters who are unfamiliar with proper dialogue techniques, professional terminology and assessment methods.

The U of A department of communications disorders aims to discourage the use of untrained interpreters. But rather than establishing a program to train interpreters directly, Long has chosen to focus on UA students - offering them skills and techniques that they can later apply in their professional careers.

"The program we’ve developed ensures two things - that our students gain experience working with interpreters and that they leave the University equipped with a curriculum to train those interpreters," Long said.

The program teaches students a special training curriculum that consists of four components. For the first component, the UA students inform the interpreters about the importance of recognizing cultural differences in communication.

The second part of the curriculum teaches the interpreters their role as assistants to the speech pathologist. In addition, the interpreters learn their legal responsibilities when communicating and interacting with a child.

In the third component, the students teach their interpreters the technical aspects of speech pathology, including the anatomy and physiology of speech and the meaning of special terminology such as "articulation" and "voice." Furthermore, the interpreters must learn the parameters of "normal" communication so that they can recognize what constitutes a communications disorder.

Finally, the UA students teach the interpreters proper assessment techniques. Applying a speech pathology test requires subtle and specific phrasing to clearly communicate the task that a child is being asked to perform or respond to.

"How an instruction is stated can greatly affect whether the child understands what to do," said Long. "Untrained interpreters often communicate the requirements of the test in a way that misleads or confuses the subject, and that can lead to misdiagnosis."

And misdiagnosis is nothing to be taken lightly, according to Long. Through her research with Native Americans, Long has found that minority children are most often misdiagnosed and placed in special education programs, which may stifle their interest in school and lead to high drop out rates. Additionally, these children endure the social stigma that accompanies disability - a stigma that is particularly strong among many minority communities.

"It’s critical that we avoid misdiagnosing children. Properly training our interpreters can greatly reduce that risk," Long said.

Not only will proper training benefit speech pathologists and young subjects, but it will benefit the interpreters too. Long believes that bilingual, bicultural individuals who are trained to assist speech pathologists will be in great demand particularly in Northwest Arkansas.

According to the Multicultural Center of Northwest Arkansas, the Hispanic population of Washington County jumped from 1,526 to 8,164 between the years of 1990 and 1996. That represents a 435 percent increase. In Carroll County, it expanded from 45 to 314 over the same timespan, a 686 percent increase. And Benton County experienced a 423 percent increase of Hispanic residents, from 1,359 to 5,757.

This population explosion consists not just of individuals but of families. And serving these families, offering them reliable, accurate testing becomes increasingly important.

Individuals interested in participating as interpreters in the UA speech pathology/translation program can contact Dr. Edgarita Long for more information. Each interpreter must be bilingual, bicultural and must have completed at least one year of college.

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