Recommendations for working with
bilingual children
IALP Multilingual Affairs Committee
IALP
Multilingual Affairs Committee
Speech-Language
Pathology & Audiology Program
Department of Speech, Communication Sciences, & Theatre
The Multilingual Affairs committee of the International Association of
Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) conducted a survey of languages used in
clinical services with bilingual children in several countries. Based on this
survey it was decided that there is a necessity to provide guidelines for
speech-language therapists, working with children in culturally and linguistically
diverse communities. These children may be bilingual, multilingual, or
monolingual speakers of a minority language.
The Multilingual Affairs committee, an international panel of
speech–language practitioners, developed these guidelines using several sources
of information. which included guidelines and position
statements compiled by the South African Speech Language and Hearing Association,
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and The Royal College of
Speech and Language Therapists and clinical experience of
members of the Multilingual Affairs Committee.
This paper will provide an overview of the guidelines developed to work
with bilingual children in the areas of language impairment, phonology and
literacy. Individual differences in language development and the importance of
involving parents in decision making regarding language choice, will be
emphasized. It is hoped that these suggestions will encourage therapists to
formulate guidelines in accordance with the specific needs of their own linguistically
and culturally diverse communities.
Key words: Assessment, Therapy, Language impairment, phonology, literacy