Culturally Responsive Guidelines for Serving Families of Bilingual Children Who Stutter

Abstract

Purpose: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) encounter an increase in the cultural and linguistic diversity in their caseloads each year. This has given rise to challenges that SLPs working with bilingual children face, particularly in relation to language choice. Professionals and families must make complex educational and intervention decisions. The purpose of this tutorial is to assist SLPs in developing their cultural responsiveness as it pertains to working with bilingual families, with a special focus on bilingual children who stutter. The vital role of the home language will be discussed as well as the far-reaching detrimental effects of removing or reducing use of the home language within the family unit. We will examine the available research on bilingualism and stuttering as well as its complexities. Conclusions: Each case we encounter must be filtered through principles that keep the family's cultural and linguistic background central in decision-making. Guiding principles, viable solutions, and practical recommendations for working with bilingual children who stutter and their families are introduced and discussed.