It is commonly accepted that bilinguals are not two monolinguals in one (Grosjean, 1989).  This whole view of bilingualism assumes that the language systems of bilinguals are not independent, but interdependent.  Thus, interaction across language systems in bilinguals should be expected.  The purpose of this seminar is to explore the interaction between language systems in bilingual speakers.

Please note that this post is offered with the intent of sharing information with the general public.  Although this seminar was offered for ASHA Continuing Education Units at the symposium, Bilingual Therapies is not able to offer Continuing Education credit for viewing this presentation online.

We invite you to view the video and follow along with the handouts that Dr. Goldstein has shared with us.  Please feel free to post your questions and comments for Dr. Goldstein and other forum members.  We look forward to hearing from you!

goldstein-interaction.pdf

The information Dr. Fabiano presents includes:
- Reviewing existing research on bilingual acquisition and intervention with bilingual children
- Reviewing current approaches to bilingual speech and language intervention
- Completing the therapy goal selection process
- Completing the order goal selection process and choosing initial language of intervention

Please be sure to ask your questions or share your thoughts on this topic!

• How do I help these kids navigate the social constructs of two or more cultures?
• How do I effectively evaluate pragmatic differences vs. disorders?
• What is the home culture’s understanding/beliefs regarding autism and how will it affect assessment and intervention.
• And of course, the same question asked of so many bilingual individuals, In which language do I provide treatment?

Sofia Carias, M.S. CCC-SLP, begins this month’s topic. Please take a moment to view her video and weigh-in on the subject with your questions, comments and experiences.

Thanks for participating in the ¡Adelante! forum this month! We have a lot to talk about!
If you would like more information on this topic, please visit the following articles and websites:

1. Intervention Outcomes of a Bilingual Child with Autism (Disease/Disorder Overview). Seung, Hyekyung. Journal of Medical Speech Language Pathology, March 2006.
2. Multicultural Perspectives on Teaching Students with Autism. Wilder, Lynn K.; Dyches, Tina T.; Obiakor, Festus E.; Algozzine, Bob. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Summer 2004.
3. Is Bilingualism Detrimental for Children with Autism? Dopke, Susanne (susanne@bilingualoptions.com.au). February 2006.
4. To Be or Not to be Bilingual: Autistic Children from Multilingual Families. Kremer-Sadlik, Tamar (University of California, Los Angeles). Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism, 2005.
5. http://www.census.gov/
6. http://www.nccrest.org/index.html
7. http://www.azgala.org

All of us at Bilingual Therapies are excited about the possibility that this project has in keeping you and others connected and available to discuss/learn about issues dealing with Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology. We are looking forward to your participation! 

PLEASE STAY TUNED!  Sofia Carias, M.S. CCC-SLP will begin our first official discussion on Bilingualism and children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of literature on this topic yet, so please bring your practical experience and questions. I am personally anxious to hear what everyone can share.  Sofia’s video will be posted and the discussion will begin very soon.  You can stay up to date on newly posted topics by subscribing to the ¡Adelante! RSS feed.

Thanks again for stopping by! ¡Qué tenga un Feliz Año Nuevo 2008! It’s going to be a great year!

All my best,
Nate

Nate Cornish, M.S. CCC-SLP
Bilingual Therapies, Inc.