Using Interpreters for Assessment of
Spanish-Speaking ELLs with the
CELF-4
Marlene B. Salas-Provance, Ph.D., F-CCC-SLP
[email protected]
Deborah Rhein, PhD., CCC-SLP
[email protected]
Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM
ASHA - 2012
Atlanta, GA
Disclosure Statement
Dr. Salas-Provance has a relevant financial relationship with the
services described in the presentation.
She is CEO of Bilingual Advantage Inc which provides bilingual
medical interpreter workshops in NM.
Dr. Rhein has no relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to
disclose.
• IDEA 1997 (Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act)
– Alternate assessments for ELLs
• 2004 IDEIA Part B
Assessment and other evaluation materials are to be provided in the child’s
native language or other mode of communication unless it is clearly not
feasible to do so.
Parents are entitled to an interpreter at the IEP meeting if
needed to ensure that the parents understand the
proceedings.
Caesar, G.G., & Kohler, P.D. (2007). The State of School-Based Bilingual Assessment:
Actual Practice Versus Recommended Guidelines, LSHSS, 38,
pp 190-200. (Michigan survery: n=130)
• Bilingual children in schools are a homogenous group
• Demonstrate various levels of fluency with native to nearnative proficiency in both English and home language (L1)
• Linguistic mismatch between clinicians and students
• Lack of training in nonbiased assessment
• Standardized assessments mandated for evaluations although
norm-referenced assessments are few and legislation and
legal decisions discourage their use (IDEA)
• Dynamic Assessment not mentioned
• SLPs overestimated students’ L2 proficiency and made
erroneous conclusion that students were prepared for
English-only testing
National Standards for
Healthcare Organizations
Provision of Culturally and Linguistically
Appropriate Services in Healthcare
CLAS
http://www.nhmamd.org/pdf/CLASfinalreport.pdf
CLAS STANDARDS - 14
•
Culturally Competent Care
Standards
(Guidelines 1-3)
Guidelines are activities
recommended by OMH for
adoption as mandates by
Federal, State and National
Accrediting Agencies
•
Language Access Services
Standards
(Mandates 4-7)
Mandates are current
Federal requirements for all
recipients of Federal funds
CLAS STANDARDS - 14
•
Organizational Supports for
Cultural Competence Standards 814
•
Organizational Supports for
Cultural Competence Standards 814
(Guidelines 8-13)
(Recommendation 14)
Guidelines are activities
recommended by OMH for
adoption as mandates by
Federal, State and National
Accrediting Agencies
Recommendations are
suggested by OMH for
voluntary adoption by
healthcare organizations
LAW AND LIABILITY ISSUES
“There is the infamous story in Florida in which a
Spanish speaker had a medical problem and called an
ambulance,” she related. The paramedics assessed the
patient while an untrained interpreter assisted. “The
patient was describing what was going on and used the
word intoxicado. The patient meant he felt dizzy, but
the translator used the word ‘intoxicated.’ The ER staff
did not check further and treated the man as a drunken
person and didn’t realize he was having a cerebral
hemorrhage. He’s now a quadriplegic and he sued the
hospital for 72 million dollars.”
Overcoming Language Barriers Faced in Health Care By E’Louise Ondash, RN, contributor
http://www.nursezone.com/Nursing-News-Events/more-features.aspx?ID=18135
Competencies of Interpreters
• Demonstrate bilingual proficiency in terms and
concepts relevant to clinical and non-clinical
encounters
• Maintain code of ethics
• Conflicts with confidentiality
• Faithful rendering of the message
– interpreter will not delete, substitute or add
anything to the message
BASICS OF
INTERPRETER TRIAD
• BRIEFING
• INTERACTION
• DEBRIEFING
BRIEFING
• Explain format (ground rules) of interview and
assessment (SLP/I)
• Explain purpose of assessment (SLP)
• Review critical pieces of information, including a
review of client’s file to determine if client is
likely to speak dialect spoken by interpreter
(SLP/I)
• Type of interpreting (consecutive or
simultaneous) (SLP/I)
Basics of standardized assessment
• Determine if this CELF-IV is appropriate for use
with this client—normed on U.S. bilinguals
• Cover the need to say ONLY what is written on the
protocol
• Explain why instructions MUST be followed to the
letter (only repeat when allowed, no paraphrasing)
• Explain the kinds of supportive statements that can
be made (comment on child’s approach to task, not
on correctness of answers)
Review CELF-IV Spanish
• Go over every subtest and item—read over
quickly with the interpreter
• Ask if any of these items vary from the dialect
spoken in the area
• Ask if any items would not be known to most
Spanish speakers in area
• Any items of concern based on cultural
differences
Basals and Ceilings
• Review basals and ceiling rules—understand that
it may not be clear whether basals and ceilings
are reached during evaluation—so its better to go
back too far for a basal and go further than you
need for a ceiling
• As long as rules are followed for scoring, its
better to overextend in items given, so you don’t
have to bring child back
• If possible, administer test to another subject with
interpreter
INTERACTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SLP/Interpreter maintain eye contact with client
SLP/Interpreter language is understandable to client
Team presents itself as a unit
Environment is comfortable
Pay attention to nonverbal cues
Interpreter interprets clearly and precisely
Interpreter asks for clarification when necessary
INTERACTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
Appropriate seating arrangement
SLP introduces participants
SLP defines roles
SLP states purpose of interview or assessment
Interpreter uses “I” instead of “Mr. X says”
Interpreter transmits everything said
INTERACTION
Rules for Interpreter
•
•
•
•
•
Avoid long sentences
Avoid complex sentences
Avoid slang
Avoid sarcasm
Avoid inappropriate nonverbal behaviors with
SLP or client
• Avoid being focus of interpreting
Interaction:Rules for the SLP
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Speak to Interpreter before-hand
Introduce self to client and interpreter
Speak to client, maintaining eye contact
Speak at an even pace, use short sentences, pause to allow
translation
Insist that everything said be translated
Since translation is rarely literal, it may take more words to
translate. Be patient
Ask one question at a time
Ask to be alerted if cultural issues arise
Lack of English skills has nothing to do with education or cognition.
Behave accordingly.
DEBRIEFING
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ask, “Was the assessment productive?”
Areas that went well.
Areas that did not go well.
Clarify new cultural aspects
Discuss any confusion about student responses
Score student responses with test protocol,
recording of student and interpreter present
• Discuss transcription of language sample—SALT
is available for coding
Language Disorders Vocabulary
Speech-language pathologist
Audiologist
Mentally Retarded
Problem with language
Words
7-years-old
Play
Children
Baby
Ear aches
Show
Pictures
Books
To read
-
Terapueta/terapista de lenguaje
Audiólogo (a)
Descapacitado mental
Problema de lenguaje
Palabras
Siete años
Jugar
Niños
Bebé
Dolor de los oídos
Enseñar
Fotos, dibujos
Libros
Leer
Language Disorders Vocabulary
Talk
Examination
Disorder
Receptive Language
Expressive Language
Delayed Language
Normal development
Speech therapy
Chronological Age
Mental Age
IEP
-
School
Test
-
Hablar
Examen
Trastorno
Lenguaje receptivo
Lenguaje expresivo
Lenguaje retrasado
Desarrollo normal
Terapia de lenguaje
Edad cronológico
Edad mental
Programa Educativo
Individualizado
Escuela
Preubas
SCRIPT ROLE-PLAYING
• Role-play activity in groups of three.
• Role-play from written script.
• Written script includes role of SLP, parent and
interpreter
• Practice reading the script with one person per role.
Change roles if time allows.
Options other than standardized measures
• Administer and Interpret in non-standardized modified
manner
–
–
–
–
–
–
Use interpreter or translator to administer or score
Test below and above basal and ceiling
Reword task instructions
Provide additional training items
Provide additional feedback on performance
Composite scoring
– Describe modifications in written and oral reports
– Dynamic assessment
– SALT-bilingual database for language sample
REFERENCES
Steyn, D (Eds.). (1997). The critical link: Interpreters in the community. Philadelphia: Johns Benjamin.
Cheng, L.L. (1998). Beyond multiculturalism. In V. Oooka Pang & L.L.Cheng, (Eds.),
Struggling to be heard: The unmet needs of Asian Pacific American children (pp.105122). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Hwa-Froelich, D. A. & Westby, C. (2003). Considerations when working with interpreters. Communication Disorders
Quarterly, 24, 78-85.
Langdon, H.W. (2002a). Interpreters and translators in communication disorders:
A Handbook for Practitioners. Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications.
Langdon, H.W. (2002b). Communicating effectively with a client during a speech language pathologist/interpreter
conference: Results of a survey. Contemporary Issues in Communication Science and Disorders, 29, 17-34.
Langdon, H.W. & Cheng, L.L (2002). Collaborating with interpreters and translators in
the communication disorders field. Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications.
Langdon, H,.W. (2003). (VIDEO). Working with interpreters to serve bilingual children
and families. Rockville, MD: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Langdon, H.W. & Quintanar, R. (2003). The interpreter in a speech-language pathologist,parent,or student interaction: Roles
and responsibilities. Seminars in Speech and Language, 23, 3; 235-244.Re