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Difference or Disorder?
word (!), to best describe a situation. I would bring the best, homemade lunches to school.
Alas, due to snarky comments and my own sensitivities, I, too, brought bologna sandwiches
and Doritos.
Over time (and with adult perspective), I embraced and validated what my parents,
immigrants from Vietnam, provided and provided and provided. My culture, my stories, are
made up of family, food, generational hardship, and personal successes. Now, each time I
walk into a room to assist with an evaluation, interpret at a meeting, or conduct therapy, I
feel like I am making my parents proud. I am not only providing a resource for my clients and
students, but I am able to bring something that cannot be quantified on a standardized test
or IEP paperwork. And, I am ever‐so‐grateful for the opportunity to acknowledge and validate
these life matters.
Phuong Lien Palafox, Bilingual Speech‐Language Pathologist
REFERENCES
Cheng, L. (1991). Assessing Asian language performance: Guidelines for evaluating limited‐
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English proficient students (2 ed.). Oceanside, CA: Academic Communication
Associates.
Hwa‐Froelich, D. (2007). Vietnamese speech acquisition. In McLeod, S. (Ed.), The
International Guide to Speech Acquisition (pp. 580‐591). Clifton Park, NY: Thompson
Delmar Learning.
Hwa‐Froelich, D., Hodson, B., & Edwards, H. (2002). Characteristics of Vietnamese
phonology. American Journal of Speech‐Language Pathology, 11, 264‐273.
Kohnert, K. (2008). Language disorders in bilingual children and adults. San Diego, CA:
Plural Publishing.
Nguyen, V. S., Carré, R., & Castelli, E. (2008). Production and perception of Vietnamese short
vowels. In Acoustical Society of America Meeting (pp. 3509‐3514). Paris.
Pham, G. and Kohnert, K. (2008). Vietnamese‐English bilingual children assessment and
intervention. Paper presented at American Speech Hearing Association National
Convention in Chicago, IL, 2008.
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Roseberry‐McKibbin, C. (2008). Language differences commonly observed among Asian
speakers from multicultural students with special language needs. Oceanside, CA:
Academic Communication Associates. p.123‐134.
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