This is the fourth article in our series on reducing unnecessary speech referrals. Unnecessary referrals not only require significant time from SLPs, but they also place a financial strain on school districts and disrupt students’ academic schedules. As members of an educational team, it’s critical that we work together to identify only those students who genuinely need speech evaluations. An essential part of this process is gathering high-quality, detailed information from parents.
Throughout this series, we’ve discussed how bilingual students are frequently over-referred for speech evaluations, often due to a mismatch in language or cultural expectations between teachers and students. Another key challenge is that parent questionnaires are often not available in the family’s home language. While some districts provide forms in English and Spanish, this approach doesn’t serve families who speak languages beyond these options. As a result, the information we receive from parents may be incomplete or less accurate, affecting our referral decisions.
We’ve taken care of that to the best of our ability by redesigning parent questionnaires and translating them into 16 common languages. Have a look at those but in this post we wanted to cover some important questions. Here’s why:
Engaging parents effectively in the referral process and ensuring they can communicate their insights in their native language can be a game-changer. Research has shown that when parents report no concerns about their child’s language skills in their home language, it often suggests that observed language patterns may be typical of bilingualism, not indicative of a disorder. This information can make the difference between pursuing a referral and realizing that one may not be necessary.
Key Questions for Collecting Quality Information from Parents
To build a complete picture of a bilingual student’s language development, here are essential areas and sample questions to ask during the parent interview:
1. Language Exposure and Environment
- What languages are spoken at home, and who speaks them most frequently with your child?
- At what age did your child begin hearing and using each language?
- How much of the day does your child spend using each language, both at home and in the community?
2. Developmental Milestones
- How did your child’s language development in their native language compare to other children in the family?
- Did you notice any delays or differences in their speech development?
3. Current Communication Skills
- How well does your child communicate in your home language? Are there specific sounds, words, or grammar that they struggle with?
- Does your child express frustration or reluctance to speak or understand others in any language?
4. Social and Academic Interactions
- How does your child interact with peers in both languages, in school and in social settings?
- Have teachers raised any concerns about their language or communication skills, and how does this compare to what you see at home?
5. Behavior and Emotional Response
- Does your child seem comfortable and confident when speaking each language?
- Are there settings where they show more or less ease in communication?
These questions can provide a comprehensive understanding of a student’s language skills across different environments and languages, helping educators differentiate between natural bilingual development and potential speech-language concerns.
Research Insights on Interviewing Parents
Research underscores the importance of effective communication with parents to gather high-quality information. For example, Markham and Dean (2006) found that using semi-structured interviews allows parents to share detailed observations while giving SLPs the flexibility to explore specific areas further. This approach can lead to more nuanced insights into a child’s language abilities in both languages. Additionally, research by Cesar and Klingner (2018) emphasizes the importance of cultural competence in interviews, noting that respecting a family’s linguistic and cultural background fosters trust and supports a more open exchange of information.
- Markham, D., & Dean, T. (2006). Parents’ perspectives on the assessment and diagnosis of bilingual children with speech difficulties. *Journal of Multilingual Communication Disorders*, 4(3), 171-188.
- Cesar, M., & Klingner, J. K. (2018). Bilingualism, cultural competence, and parent interviewing: Research insights for SLPs working with linguistically diverse families. *Communication Disorders Quarterly*, 39(2), 99-110.
A Caring Approach to Addressing Parental Concerns
When engaging with parents about their child’s communication development, it’s important to remember that this can be a sensitive topic. Parents often come to these discussions with genuine concerns and may feel anxious about their child’s future. As educators and SLPs, our role is to listen empathetically, reassure parents that bilingualism is a normal process, and emphasize that we’re here to support their child’s unique journey.
By building trust and taking the time to understand each child’s linguistic background, we can help parents feel confident and valued as partners in their child’s education. With their insight, we can ensure that our referral decisions are both informed and compassionate.
Action Step:
By building a collaborative, informed approach, we can better support bilingual students and make decisions that truly reflect each child’s unique language abilities.For those interested in exploring this topic further, checkout the other three essays in this series:
- Being involved in the referral process to help teachers collect good data
- Sharing our knowledge about bilingual development with our fellow educators
- Giving teachers the resources they need to gather meaningful data
- Getting quality information from parents (this post)
