Ch. 5 - Comm Disorders in Multicultural World

Multiculturalism

A soceity characterized by a diversity of cultures with varieties of religion, languages, customs, traditions, and values

Cultural competence

Ability of service providers to recognize, honor, and respect the beliefs, interaction styles, and behaviors of the individuals and families they serve

AAE

African American English

• Dialect of Standard American English

• Rule governed, systematic linguist system

  • EX: using “be” as a main verb → She be working.

Code switching

Using different linguistic styles for different situations

• Language used with coworkers vs. language used with friends/family

African American cultural variables

Most standardized assessments are biased against AAE speakers

• Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variations (DELV) was created to be used with AAE speakers

• AA children are overly referred to special education bc of the way they speak

Hispanic cultural variables

• Families have relaxed attitudes toward child rearing

  • They focus on family interdependence

• Children tend to achieve expected developmental milestones “later” than mainstream standards

  • They are not to be misjudged as “delayed”

• Families have great respect for educational institutions and tend to “keep their distance,” leaving decisions up to the teachers

  • Important to attempt to involve parents in decisions and show that their input is valued

Asian cultural variables

• Interdependence between family members is encouraged

• Children must be seen, not heard

• Many view disabilites as a result of wrongdoing on part of the individual, ancestors, or both

  • Parents may feel guilt or shame if their child has a disability

• If a neurological event occurs (TBI, stroke, etc.), family may believe it’s karma for a wrong actions and reject intervention

• Value harmony and avoid confrontation

Why do English Language Learners (ELLs) tend to struggle in American schools and be over-referred for special education?

ELLs tend to be over referred to special education and placed in speech and language programs bc they struggle in school

• Difficulty with English and classwork taught in English is not grounds for a language disorder diagnosis

• A language disorder affects a student’s ability to learn in ANY language

  • Intervention can occur in both of their languages

Intervention for ELL students

Many standardized tests are biased and inappropriate for ELLs

• It’s crucial to have testing in the ELL’s 1st language as well as English when testing for communication disorders

Dynamic assessment

Student is evaluated over time in a teach-test-reteach format

• Evaluates the student’s ability to learn when provided with instruction

Information processing

Evaluates how the brain receives, holds, manipulates, and retrieves information

• Research suggests that children with defeficts in info processing skills have have an underlying language disorder

• It’s hard for these kids to repeat back sentences, lists of digits, nonsense words, etc.

African American linguistic variables/examples

• /f/ substituted for “th” at the end/middle of a word: teeth → teef

• /d/ substituted for “th” at the beginning of a word: this → dis

• /r/ phoneme and “th” sound lessened or omitted: door → doah, mother → mudah

Hispanic linguistic variables/examples

• Double negatives → I don’t have no more.

• Past tense -ed omitted → We walk yesterday.

• Postnoun modifiers used → This is the book of my sister.

• Adverb directly after verb → He drives very fast his car.

Asian linguistic variables/examples

• Omission of plurals → Here are two piece of toast.

• Misordering of interrogatives → How old you are?

• Misuse or omission of prepositions → She is in home.

• Omission of past tense morpheme → We cook dinner yesterday.

• Omisssion of copula (a connecting word/link) → He going home now.

Valid assessment methods

Dynamic assessment and information processing