By: Marva Mount, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP, Vice President for Professional Services, and Marivel S. Willingham, MA, CCC-SLP, CLD Committee Chair
As a new school year begins, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) balance excitement with the demands of caseloads, compliance, and collaboration. Amid the rush of scheduling and individualized education program (IEP) review, one priority deserves intentional focus—preparing to effectively serve culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students.
In today’s schools, linguistic diversity is the norm, not the exception. Multilingual learners represent a wide continuum of language proficiency shaped by exposure, context, and use over time. This reality calls for thoughtful preparation to ensure our evaluations are valid, our interventions are meaningful, and our practices are equitable.
Laying the Foundation: Linguistically Responsive Practice
Preparation begins with reflection and awareness. SLPs should review campus and district demographics to understand the linguistic and cultural backgrounds they will serve. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) emphasizes that cultural responsiveness is a dynamic, lifelong process requiring self-reflection and continuous learning.
A critical component of this preparation includes strengthening our ability to distinguish language difference from disorder. Misidentification remains a concern when standardized tools are used without considering linguistic background. ASHA guidance highlights that a true disorder must be evident across all languages the student uses, whereas language differences reflect expected variations in second language acquisition.
To support accurate and equitable evaluations, SLPs should plan to incorporate:
- Dynamic assessment approaches
- Language sampling across contexts
- Case history emphasizing language exposure and use
- Collaboration with trained interpreters when needed
Dynamic assessment provides insight into a student’s learning potential and helps differentiate difference from disorder by examining responsiveness to instruction.
Developing cultural humility is also crucial in laying a secure foundation. As SLPs, clients and families should be approached with curiosity, self-reflection, and a willingness to learn rather than assuming expertise about a culture. SLPs should remain mindful that families are the experts on their own cultural experiences. Cultural competence is not a destination but rather it is an ongoing process.
Cultivating Reflective Practitioners
As clinicians, reflective practice will assist in examining how personal experience influences clinical decisions. Reflective practice will become a lifelong practice as ongoing professional development related to CLD populations and developing cultural responsiveness over time.
Effective service delivery begins with self-awareness. Clinicians who routinely reflect on their beliefs, decisions, and interactions will be better equipped to provide equitable and culturally responsive care.
Building a Toolkit That Reflects Your Students
Effective service delivery requires materials and systems that reflect student diversity. ASHA underscores that clinical approaches—including materials and assessment tools—must be adapted to align with each individual’s cultural and linguistic background.
SLPs can prepare by curating:
- Multilingual visuals and supports
- Culturally relevant texts and therapy materials
- Flexible tools that allow for scaffolding across languages
- Conceptual scoring approaches
- Cross-linguistic analysis
Additionally, culturally responsive care includes selecting materials that are meaningful and accessible to students rather than relying solely on standardized or linguistically narrow resources. Preparing adaptable materials in advance allows SLPs to respond efficiently and inclusively from the first day of service.
Strengthening Collaboration from Day One
Serving CLD students effectively requires strong interdisciplinary collaboration. ASHA recognizes that SLPs frequently work with individuals who use languages different from their own and must partner with interpreters, educators, and families to ensure access to appropriate services.
At the start of the year, SLPs should establish systems for collaboration with:
- ESL/bilingual specialists
- General education teachers
- Interpreters and translators
- Families and caregivers
Working with interpreters is not optional; it is often a legal and ethical responsibility to provide services in the language most appropriate for the student and family. Planning these supports early improves communication, reduces barriers, and strengthens outcomes.
Designing Evaluations That Are Equitable and Defensible
Equitable evaluation practices are foundational for ethical service delivery. ASHA emphasizes that multilingual assessment must consider all languages used by the individual as well as variability in proficiency, exposure, and context.
SLPs should proactively review evaluation processes and ensure they:
- Use multiple data sources
- Document language history and dominance
- Avoid overreliance on monolingual norms
- Integrate culturally and linguistically appropriate measures
- Apply dynamic assessment findings
- Complete observation across contexts
Given that many standardized assessments are normed on monolingual English speakers, relying exclusively on these tools may compromise validity when evaluating CLD students. A comprehensive, multi-method approach strengthens both accuracy and defensibility.
Creating Therapy That Is Engaging and Affirming
Culturally responsive therapy goes beyond access; it promotes belonging. ASHA notes that culturally responsive practice involves recognizing and valuing the full range of cultural variables that influence communication and participation.
SLPs can plan for therapy that:
- Incorporates students’ linguistic strengths
- Reflects cultural identities and experiences
- Encourages use of home language when appropriate
- Uses culturally relevant stories and materials that may include family traditions and experiences
- Promotes pride in bilingualism and multilingualism
When therapy affirms identity, students are more engaged, and communication outcomes improve.
Moving from Prepared to Purposeful
Preparation for CLD populations is not a one-time task but an ongoing professional commitment. Cultural responsiveness evolves through reflection, learning, and collaboration.
Starting the year with intentional systems, resources, and knowledge allows SLPs to shift from reactive service delivery to purposeful, equitable practice—ensuring that students are not only served but understood.
Final Thoughts
SLPs play a critical role in advancing equitable communication access in schools. By prioritizing preparation for culturally and linguistically diverse students, clinicians position themselves to deliver services that are accurate, ethical, and impactful.
This school year, let preparation reflect a commitment, not just to compliance but to representation, responsiveness, and excellence in practice.
References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Multilingual service delivery in audiology and speech-language pathology (Practice Portal). [asha.org]
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Cultural responsiveness (Practice Portal). [asha.org]
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in schools. [asha.org]
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Dynamic assessment. [asha.org]
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Collaborating with interpreters, transliterators, and translators (Practice Portal). [asha.org]
Peña, E. D., Gillam, R. B., & Bedore, L. M. (2014). Dynamic assessment of narrative ability in English language learners.
Orellana, C. I., Wada, R., & Gillam, R. B. (2019). Dynamic assessment for bilingual children: A meta-analysis.