• When do you book an interpreter?

When it is stated on the referral form.

If you work in close contact to the referrer please ask them if an interpreter is required.

If the child attends and the parent’s English is not fluent, and a full case history or assessment can not take place.  It is important to cancel the session and reschedule with an interpreter.  Always check the dialect of the language spoken at home.

If the child is older e.g. out of borough older child we assess.  It is important to ascertain a full language profile. An interpreter will be required to conduct the assessment so that it is accurate and reliable.

• Do you always assess the second language on first contact?

Yes.  If an interpreter is present assess both language on the same day, follow the principles below.

Ensure you have the correct resources.  An interpreter and culturally appropriate material.

• How do you use other people as interpreters?

It is possible to use a parent/carer as an interpreter, but this is VERY dependent on the individual case.

A scenario in which a parent/carer may be used as an interpreter is as follows:
A child whose parents are fluent in English and it was not stated on the referral form that an interpreter is required.  If the child is aged between 2-4 years, and you are conducting assessment through play or use of the Derbyshire Language Scheme a parent can be used to interpret for you.  Ensure you discuss with parents the method of assessment. E.g. no eye pointing, no breaking down of instructions, and no change in the vocabulary delivered by the Speech and Language Therapist.   When giving the parent the instructions either write them down or tell the parents when the child is not listening so they do not hear the instruction in English.

If a more detailed language analysis is required.  Please book an interpreter.

• If you can not book an interpreter for a certain language what do you do?

Ask the parent if they speak another dialect, and book and interpreter with interpreting service.  A case history will then be attained to determine the presenting concerns.

Phone interpreting service and request that an interpreter is sub-contracted to the specific language.  interpreting service does have this facility.

If the above does not follow through then ask the parent to bring a friend or relative to interpret.

Please also ask the family what they will be more comfortable with, due to confidentiality, and reliability.
 

• Do you always assess both languages in reviews?

If you have already have assessed the child’ home language, on the initial assessment, and the child had received intervention in English.  It is important to re-assess the child’s home language, but not every review post therapy.  If the child has reached certain milestones e.g. left school, starting nursery, being transferred to another team, it is important to gain a full language profile of both languages.  This will also be able to identify ‘subtractive bilinguals’.

• Do you assess both languages on the same day?

This will be dependent of the child and the age of the child.
If you are using the principles of the Derbyshire language scheme up to 4 word level you can assess the child’s home language and English in one session.  Please ensure that the word level you are assessing in each language has different components.  E.g. person + action in English you could assess this by “The man is sleeping”, you could again assess two word level in the home language using the same structure –person +action but different vocabulary; “The lady is jumping”.

If you are assessing an older child using formal assessments.  Please do not quote the age norms, as most assessments have not been standardised on a bilingual population.

When using these higher level language assessments, it is important to book two sessions a few days apart and assess the child using the same material.  It is not appropriate to do this in the same session due to time constraints and also the child recalling the assessment conducted in the other language.  This will make your assessment unreliable.

• Do you book the same interpreter every time?

It is important if you have used a professional interpreter to record the name of the interpreter in the case notes and on the form of the file under, “other professionals involved”.

Please up-date the interpreter on the shared drive database.

When sending your booking form to interpreting service, please write the interpreters name on the booking form for consistency.

• How much intervention does the second language receive?

The majority of clinic intervention is carried out in English.  You will have to discuss with the parent the carry over of therapy of the home language at home.  Speech and language Therapy advise and programs given can also be conducted in the child’s home language.