Working With Interpreters and Translators: A Guide for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists

Case Study: Ali's Assessment

• Initial Observations:

  • Ali was initially shy but engaged willingly with assessors over time, showing a shift from reluctance to active participation.

  • Demonstrated appropriate non-verbal communication skills, such as turn-taking, proxemics (the use of personal space), and gestures that reflect social awareness and understanding.

  • Eye contact was slightly less frequent than that of his peers, which may be attributed to shyness or discomfort in social interactions, indicating a need for further observation in social settings.

• Communication Skills:

  • Utilized gestures and sound effects effectively to communicate concepts; for example, making sound effects such as honking for cars or roaring for trucks to express ideas during play.

  • Demonstrated appropriate intonation and inflection in his speech to convey emotions and intentions, showing an understanding of basic expression through vocal modulation.

• Motor Skills:

  • Fine and gross motor skills developed within normal limits, evidenced by his ability to coordinate actions like standing, sitting, and successfully manipulating small objects such as buttons and toys.

  • No issues noted in oral motor skills during the assessment, including functions such as chewing and swallowing, which are critical for successful eating and communication.

  • Difficulty observed specifically in pursing lips, which was more indicative of a lip-smacking behavior rather than purposeful lip movement, suggesting a potential area of focus in future occupational therapy sessions.

• Interest in Activities:

  • Consistently showed interest in books, actively engaging by pointing at pictures and verbally labeling items, such as correctly identifying the picture of a fish, suggesting budding literacy skills and comprehension.

  • Engaged with crayons and began scribbling independently, demonstrating exploration of materials and the early stages of creative expression through drawing, which is an important developmental milestone.

Language Comprehension

• Report from Mother's Perspective:

  • According to Ali's mother, he understands verbal instructions well and follows simple directions effectively (e.g., he responded appropriately when asked to hand over an object).

  • She reported no concerns regarding language comprehension but emphasized that ongoing monitoring is recommended to ensure his understanding keeps pace with developmental expectations.

Language Expression

• Current Observations:

  • Ali is communicatively active, often using both gestures and verbal sounds to express concepts, indicating a desire to communicate despite his challenges.

  • Limited vocabulary noted with approximately 100 words, which falls below the expected range of 200-300 words for his age; this deficit underscores the importance of targeting expressive language development in interventions.

  • Rarely forms simple sentences and produced only a couple of two-word combinations during the assessment, highlighting significant expressive language delays.

• Foundational Skills:

  • Exhibits signs of communicative intent, as well as symbolic play using objects to represent other things, along with appropriate speech sounds that suggest foundational language development.

  • Hesitant to imitate new words or sounds, often disengaging from prompts to do so, which may indicate a need for targeted strategies to encourage participation in speech activities.

Summary and Recommendations

• Therapy Needs:

  • Due to the significant delay in expressive language skills in both English and Turkish, speech-language therapy is strongly recommended to address these gaps.

  • Prognosis for improvement is seen as excellent, given Ali's evident interest in communication and supportive home environment, suggesting strong potential for therapeutic success.

  • Therapy should ideally take place in Turkish to maximize comfort and understanding, but since trained speech-language pathologists are currently unavailable in Turkish, therapy will be conducted in English. Home activities and resources will be provided in Turkish to reinforce language learning and cultural context at home.