As another year ends, it seems natural to think about the past year and whether it was good personally and professionally. It was a busy year, I'm grateful for the achievements, but I know that there were goals that I had set for myself that were not accomplished. Usually, it's the personal goals that don't see fruition and those tend to eventually influence the professional ones. This year, I thought I would write my goals or resolutions down. Some of these I know are more dreams rather than reality, but I believe they're important enough so that maybe someone else might be encouraged to do these for him/herself this year 2000.
I have a typed piece of paper on my board in the office that states: "Work as though you don't need money, love as though you've never been hurt, and dance as though no one is watching." That sums my goals for emotional, spiritual, and physical well being. Of course there will also be the twice a week racquetball games, running every other day, weights in the evening, and of course Latin dancing while I cook meals. I have to start the day with prayer and devotions because life is full of frustrations, insecurities, and inequities. Starting out peacefully definitely helps.
Professional goals need some attention because so much needs to be learned, so much needs to be done, and so much needs to be conveyed to our colleagues wherever we may work. My hope is that all clinicians would realize the importance of their work with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations who are communicatively impaired. I've set for myself seven professional resolutions. Maybe one or more of these will become part of your New Year's Resolution list.
- Be an advocate for children and adults who are from CLD populations. I could mentor young children or teenagers, volunteer my services 2 hours a week at a shelter for homeless children, or work at the center for abused women and children. Coaching cheerleaders, soccer, football, or baseball for girls or boys is a great way of mentoring and modeling hope for young people. I could find out what the political issues are in my community that affect children and their health and education. In my region, Migrant Head Start received a large grant to build 5 centers for children and their parents. It will increase health and educational services and also provide literacy training for the parents. I want to know what their philosophy will be in helping children, what language will be used to teach them, what purpose literacy will serve in working with parents, and how this will impact on children's attitudes about their language and culture. I want to work more with Migrant education, specifically, birth to 5 years, children from Mexico in Juarez, Mexico, and learn what my school district's plan is for multicultural-bilingual education. Being an advocate also means critiquing what is being promoted to be best for children. As an example, a report came out recently that stated that after a 20 year longitudinal study African American children were better off by going to a high quality preschool rather than staying home under a parent's care. Intelligence was higher, children stayed in school longer, and did better in school than the control group. What the report didn't say was that the intelligence quotients differences were only 5 points and that school achievement was not that significantly higher than the controls. What these children may have been presenting is test-taking knowledge taught in the preschool. If you question IQ tests and their cultural validity among children of color, then you have to wonder how significant these results are and the impact it has on families. Look carefully at what is being presented as the best interest for children from CLD populations.
- Work to influence Co-workers to change attitudes, procedures, and policies. The whole purpose is to educate co-workers about state of the art practices, monitor routine procedures in assessment and treatment, foster policy changes that may negatively impact services to CLD populations, and thereby increase sensitivity to diversity. It always helps if there is a co-worker who can share the load and responsibility. As an example, I've been working at changing the policy of using only play based assessment with Hispanic preschoolers when the observers are mainstream English speakers who are assessing play on the basis of what is known about mainstream preschoolers. Hispanic preschoolers don't do the same things during this type of assessment procedure. This means that flawed judgements about a child's cognitive, social, emotional, and communicative abilities may be compromised because of an inappropriate framework. That is, the assessors are using frameworks and research based on middle class, English speaking children. Change always comes slowly, but have patience and the work will get completed.
- Work to make my workplace a culturally friendly environment. When I travel into Mexico, my anxieties will decrease when I see signs and materials written in English. The same is true for families who enter our schools, clinics, and hospitals and can't see themselves in these places that are suppose to help them. Look at your environment and see what could be added, not changed, just included, so that children and parents can receive handouts in their own language or see signs that will assist them in locating specific departments.
- Work with the State Association. Legislative lobbying, continuing education, professional issues, cultural diversity, communications, are just some of the committees that can impact the type of services that CLD populations might receive. Professionals should become active in their state association because volunteerism is how we solve the problems that face our profession. Chair a committee, influence the program committee, network among the clinicians in the state with similar interests, or write a grant proposal to inservice clinicians. These are just a few of the activities that could be accomplished this coming year. I'm working toward developing a 1 day institute the day before our State convention to address intervention issues with bilingual populations. Our diversity committee will be working with clinicians across the state who have developed interesting therapy techniques and plans for children and adults who are bilingual. Bilingual and monolingual clinicians will be invited to attend this one time presentation, and we'll video tape and offer the information as ASHA CEU's.
- Work with ASHA: ASHA may at times appear to be a distant organization, but it does need our help by volunteering to work on a number of Boards, committees, and ad hoc committees. You're appointed to a committee by completing a committee pool application form and then submitting this to ASHA. I just came off as a member of a Board, but I'll complete the form and try to get on another committee or Board this year. I need to look at ASHA's position statements, past and new ones, to determine how these might impact the populations that I'm serving. Definitely, a proposal will be developed to submit to the ASHA Convention Committee for the Washington, D.C. Convention in 2000. The Office of Multicultural Affairs has a wealth of information and resources that I know I'll access this coming year. This year I want to make myself available to them so that they know that I'm supporting their efforts such as raising funds for scholarships, working to recruit more diverse students to graduate schools, developing materials in Spanish, and working toward cultural sensitivity within the national office. Finally, I'll vote in the next ASHA election so that I'm sure to help elect individuals who are supportive of issues that improve services to culturally and linguistically diverse populations and professionals.
- Increase my knowledge about culturally and linguistically diverse populations. I need to read at least 1 article each month about cultural diversity, assessment, treatment, or a professional issue. A study group in my area would help focus the discussion about the article or book. There are interesting courses at the University in second language acquisition, anthropology, Latin American Studies, Asian Studies, literature or bilingual education. Public school clinicians in this region have taken independent studies with me and attempted to solve problems that they're confronting in their work with Spanish speaking children. The topics have ranged from training interpreters, assessment of Native American students, or adapting materials for Spanish speaking children in their caseloads. Independent study wouldn't have to be through a university, but could be totally independent and then presented to colleagues for review and discussion. This could be another way of increasing knowledge concerning CLD populations.
- Increase my abilities in Spanish. I'm constantly working at fluency, literacy, and a higher level of cognitive skills in Spanish. Spanish radio and television is part of my life, but I need to develop my interests in Spanish newspapers and books. I have 2 good friends in Mexico, so I'll be sure to write them using the internet. I definitely will visit my language partner each week to maintain Spanish skills. Language schools are a possibility for some people and there are a number in Mexico (See resource list). Travel to places that will help expand your cultural funds of knowledge. See something new that is culturally different in the state, region, or in Latin America. Write a grant proposal to fund this adventure and learning experience. This spring, depending on a local grant, 8 bilingual clinicians will be presenting each Saturday morning at Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez on a variety of topics from language development, to phonological/articulation disorders and treatment. The purpose is to provide information to Mexican special educators, school psychologists, and speech & language specialists about treatment procedures that we use with Spanish speaking children in New Mexico. The clinicians who have agreed to present are more excited about developing their Spanish skills than presenting the information. With some adaptation, the same information could be presented to parents in the area.
Conclusion
I listed my New Year's Resolutions with possible suggestions to implement. I always set goals that challenge me and it doesn't mean that I'll do everything I've listed. I'll keep the list on my board to remind myself of what I've set for the year. I hope to meet clinicians this year who will tell me their stories and challenges for the year. These stories encourage me. So if you read this and get an idea for your own professional growth and development or a new plan for your bilingual community, please let me know.
Resources
Parents:
- Baker, C. (1995). A parents' and teachers' guide to bilingualism. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters LTD.
- Harding, E. & Riley, P. (1994). The Bilingual Family: A Handbook for parents. New York: Cambridge University Press.
- ASHA: Special Interest Division 14: Communication Sciences and Disorders in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations. ASHA, Rockville Pike, MD.
- Office of Multicultural Affairs. Director: Vickie Deal-Williams 301-897-5700
- Multicultural Grant Projects, Applications due in June, 2000. Contact: Vickie Deal-Williams.
Language Schools
(gmorones@anuies.mx) or fax 525-604-42-63 Attn: Sr. Guillermo Morones Director de Programas Internacionales de ANUIES
- UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA Ensenada, Tijuana $520 3 weeks
- BENEMERITA UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE PUEBLA Puebla $400 3
- UNIVERSIDAD IBEROAMERICANA Distrito Federal $1925 6
- UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE GUADALAJARA Guadalajara $1200 4
- UNIVERSIDAD DE GUANAJUATO Guanajuato $475 4
- INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO Y DE ESTUDIOS SUPERIORES DE MONTERREY Monterrey $1292 5
- UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE QUERETARO Queretaro $600 4
- UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA Xalapa $590 6
- UNIVERSIDAD JUAREZ AUTONOMA DE TABASCO Villahermosa $200 5
- UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE MEXICO Distrito Federal $370 6
- UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE CAMPECHE Campeche $400 4
