FLAC : Functional Language Across Countries development of resources for speechlanguage assessment in bilingualism Florence Millar-Wilson 17th September 2014 RCSLT conference

Mind the Gap : Putting research into practice 1

FLAC A resource developed by and for speechlanguage therapists who need to sample the home language of individuals who speak a language other than or additional to English . (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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Mind the gap : aims

 Identify the gap  Search the literature  Review the application of literature to need (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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Identifying the gap

Clinical need ?

“Difference or Disorder ”

Assessment resources

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30+Languages additional to / other than English Languages not spoken by practitioner 4

Norm-referenced assessments

• “an inadequate tool for bilingual children” Caesar& Kohler 2007 (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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Why?

differences (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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Informed by…? • Oller et al 2007 • Langdon 2008 • Paradis 2010 • Paradis Genesee & Crago 2011 • Bedore & Peña 2008 • Thordardottir 2005 • Awde 2009 • Nelson & Nelson 1990 and many others ... (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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Is it all just too difficult ?

Similarities

Standards

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Supports

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Informed by...? Ambridge & Lieven 2011 Tomasello 2000, Brent & Siskind 2001 Tomasello 2003 Caselli et al 1993, McLeod 2007, Bedore & Peña 2008 Nicholls et al 2011 RCSLT Langdon 2008 (c) f millar-wilson 2014 and many others...

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Mind the gap : process • Research: Robust literature review Development of a resource • Refine : Debate with interpreters / home language speakers to inform cultural and linguistic adaptations • Review : Trial and evaluate including user feedback (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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FLAC • Manual – theoretical underpinning and supporting research in bilingualism, bilingual language development , assessment and evaluation assessment and impairment. Guidance on socio-cultural influences in assessment and evaluation of sample findings . Used with all languages • Picture book with clear, colourful illustrations of the language being sampled . Used with all languages • Record forms Unique to each language

resource (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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FLAC is currently prepared in Polish Lithuanian Spanish Slovak Brazilian Portuguese European Portuguese Russian English Irish German French Malayalam Mandarin (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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FLAC • For examples of the FLAC picture book please refer to Black Sheep Press http://bit.ly/All FLACRC

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Record forms • • • • • • •

Language environment and interaction Parental perception Common elements of world languages Receptive and expressive Stimulus in home language Word-for-word translation to English for SLT FLAC snippets

• Expected responses phonemically encoded (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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FLAC • For examples of FLAC record forms please refer to Black Sheep Press website http://bit.ly/All FLACRC

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Mind the gap : outcomes • 100% parents evaluated FLAC findings as representative of their child’s language competency at home • 100% interpreters evaluated FLAC as accurate, user-friendly, and appropriate • 74% of CLD families now access prepared , structured assessment in our clinics through FLAC [ pre-FLAC survey indicated that 62 % of parents expected prepared resources for home- language assessment] • 82% saving in assessment preparation time • SLT survey showed improvements in assessment consistency, and value of FLAC in dynamic assessment and clinical decision-making (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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“With bilingual children we can mind the assessment gap… developing robust language sampling resources and processes for use as our assessment tools informing clinical judgement by bringing together assessment findings, awareness of the impact of culture and bilingualism and the nature of bilingual language development and bilingual language impairment to form the cornerstone of our diagnostic process Millar-Wilson 2014” (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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Research Recruit Relax

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FLAC : minding the gap To purchase FLAC, currently available in Polish Slovak Lithuanian Spanish, please contact Black Sheep Press www.blacksheeppress.co.uk or http://bit.ly/All FLACRC

Thank you for your time and your attention

[email protected] (c) f millar-wilson 2014

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