I've decided to revisit this topic because it is important and one that I believe needs some discussion. I know that John Consalvi does his best to make sure that his clinicians are well informed and that bilingual clinicians are also trained in the state of the art. I get students from other universities asking if I have a bilingual training program and I tell them no. I don't know how these students define bilingual training program, but I know how I define this and it's not probably what these students think it is. What I say is that I am willing to guide a thesis in an area concerning Hispanics and also supervise in the clinic whenever there's a Spanish-speaking client. My job responsibilities don't allow more than this.
But just these two activities, do not make up a training program for bilingual students.
My philosophy has always been that training a bilingual speech language pathologist requires the commitment of a faculty, the community of bilingual SLP's, and a mentor/supervisor who will provide direction for the students. It's never the frosting on the cake it's the whole cake with rich frosting. It can't be an add-on to an existing program, or a few diagnostics or 1 client in the clinic type of program. This type of experience is training, but not necessarily an education. Training is only part of the development of a clinician, it also requires educating the bilingual student-clinician.
There is a difference between the two, training and educating. For both to occur, you do need the support of faculty and other bilingual clinicians in the community. The faculty in addition to the "mentor" needs to agree that bilingual clinicians are a priority and that the goal is to train and educate clinicians so that they're competent in all areas of practice with bilingual populations. It is not about learning to administer 5 tests or to be able to speak the language with native-like proficiency. It is about having a philosophy for clinical practice and developing assertiveness so that advocacy becomes second nature to the bilingual clinician. There has to be an "attitude", a pride, a know-it-in-my-bones, that what the clinician is doing is right for students and family. This is only done through modeling, through mentoring, through demonstration, through a community of other bilingual clinicians outside the university campus who also have the "know-it-in-their-bones" attitude that what they do is for the benefit of children. Sometimes it is difficult to get students to step out with the "attitude", others come ready for an "attitude" and still others just don't want to make changes in their environments and then others just follow. It takes time to cultivate. Great bilingual clinicians are movers and shakers, they know when to move, when to move others, and know when to shake because moving doesn't do it. They're also great communicators. It's only through communication that they're able to convince others of the needs, the importance, the difficulties, the hopes, and the possibilities that need to be explained to professionals and families.
What is an education? What are we trying to do when we educate bilingual clinicians? I guess part of the education is the coursework, such as second language acquisition, assessment, intervention in bilingual populations, and maybe a course in communication disorders in multicultural populations. But then application of the information learned in these courses becomes the really exciting part of the education. It will take mentors/supervisors on campus as well as off campus that have access to different clinical populations. Learning to think, problem solve, be creative, and learn to work with and through a multiple set of issues that may impact a student and family, just makes this area so exciting and so worth the time and effort to be educated as a bilingual speech language pathologist. You need the coursework, the supervisor/mentor on campus, supportive faculty, and the clinical placements with bilingual supervisors.
If you know of someone who wants to become a bilingual clinician, please refer them to the ASHA website for the different bilingual programs across the country. Then be sure to advise this future bilingual clinician to look at the courses offered, the mentor/faculty member on campus, the accessibility of bilingual clinical placements off campus, and the support of faculty for the program. How do you know if faculty is supportive? Ask another student in the program.
I don't have a bilingual program anymore. I miss that part of my work. But I also know what it takes to make great bilingual clinicians.
