Tonight (7:30-9:00) I was online with Dr Kate Margetson and a group of speech pathologists who speak Cantonese and/or Mandarin/Putonghua. They were advising us about how to adapt the SACHL for children who speak Cantonese and/or Mandarin/Putonghua. What a useful conversation - great insights were shared.
One participant mentioned https://www.evalubox.com/language-sample for language sampling - but none were aware of a similar tool for speech sampling.
Congratulations Kate Margetson who has just had the following manuscript accepted for publication that was written during her postdoc It is the next step in the research about the Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL)
Margetson, K. & McLeod, S. (2025). Multilingual speech assessment: Using an implementation science framework to explore acceptability of the Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL). American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Advance online publication.
Here is the abstract
Purpose: The Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL) offers a new, evidence-based clinical protocol for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to assess speech in unfamiliar languages. This study used implementation science to investigate SLPs’ current multilingual speech assessment practices, determine the prospective acceptability of the SACHL, and compare current confidence to prospective confidence with the SACHL.
Method: The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) were used to explore innovation deliverers’ (SLPs’ and student SLPs) prospective acceptability of the innovation (SACHL). Attendees at in-person and online SACHL presentations were invited to participate. 360 participants commenced an online questionnaire exploring current practices, transcription skills, confidence and acceptability of the SACHL. Statistical tests compared attendees at different presentations, SLPs and students SLPs, and monolingual and multilingual participants.
Results: The majority of participants indicated low current confidence in assessing multilingual children. Most SLPs assessed, transcribed, and analyzed multilingual children’s speech in English; but rarely or never applied these practices in children’s home language(s). The majority of participants rated the SACHL as being culturally responsive, well-designed, easy to understand, and that it would increase diagnostic accuracy. There were concerns around the time burden in using the SACHL. Most (87.45%) indicated they would like to use the SACHL in clinical practice, and there was a statistically significant improvement between current confidence and prospective confidence.
Conclusions: The SACHL was evaluated by SLPs and student SLPs to be an acceptable clinical protocol to assess children’s speech in unfamiliar languages.
"On behalf of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation), in conjunction with the 2022 ASHA Convention Program Committee, thank you for accepting our invitation to present at the ASHA Annual Convention, November 17-19, 2022. This session, Building Research to Close the Science-Practice Gap in Communication Sciences and Disorders, is an inaugural international symposium supported by the ASHFoundation through its endowed Max D. and Ruth Steer Fund."
It was an excellent session with presentations from Pamela Enderby, Danielle Glista, Sharynne McLeod, and Holly Storkel
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| Lesley Olswang, Pam Enderby and Sharynne McLeod |
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| Nancy Minghetti and Holly Storkel opening the session |
At the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention in New Orleans, LA I am presenting two invited sessions and am co-author on a technical session:
MC06: Building Research to Close the Science-Practice Gap in Communication Sciences and Disorders: A Global Perspective - Holly Storkel, Sharynne McLeod, Pamela Enderby, Danielle Glista
Location: CC/R7 Date: Thursday, Nov 17 1:00 PM Duration: 2 hours Format: 2-Hour Master Class (In-Person) Code: MC06 PDH(s): 2 Hrs
This session is developed by, and presenters invited by the ASHFoundation. This master class is FREE and not ticketed, and will focus on a global perspective to improve evidence-based practices in Communication Sciences and Disorders through research. A panel of international scholars will share their ideas about closing the science-practice gap. Panel members will present the state of evidence-based practice in their countries and discuss the need for research that addresses closing the science-practice gap. They will share challenges and solutions they have encountered in building this research capacity. Further, in light of the current global health crisis, panel members will consider how research efforts in this area might change in the future. The session will include an opportunity for discussion among panel members and the audience to problem solve the state of the art in CSD. This inaugural international symposium is supported by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation through its endowed Max D. and Ruth Steer Fund.
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| Lesley Olswang, Pam Enderby, Sharynne McLeod |
1469L: Children's Speech Development: An Update - Sharynne McLeod
Location: CC/275-277 Date: Friday, Nov 18 1:15 PM Duration: 1 hour Format: 1-Hour Seminar (In-Person) Code: 1469L PDH(s): 1 Hr
This session is developed by, and presenters invited by, Speech Sound Disorders and Motor Speech Disorder in Children, to provide an update of research evidence related to children’s speech development. Typical development of General American English will be compared with typical development of other English dialects and languages. SLPs will be guided to consider perspectives relating to “correct” production and to implement knowledge of typical speech development in assessment and intervention for children with speech sound disorders.
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| Kate Crowe, Lisa Furlong, Sharynne McLeod |
4638L: Addressing Tension in the Eligibility Process: Findings from Focus Group Discussions - Marie Ireland, Sarah Verdon, Sharynne McLeod
Location: CC/342 Date: Friday, Nov 18 11:00 AM Duration: 30 minutes Format: Technical Research (Live) Code: 4638L PDH(s): 30 Minutes
In order for students to receive SLP services in U.S. schools, they must be found eligible. Three focus groups of school-based SLPs discussed the complex nature of evaluation practices and decision making in schools. Qualitative analysis using the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) framework revealed nine tensions: SLPs’ concerns regarding eligibility decision outcomes; Concerns about evaluation data used for decision making; Documentation of educational impact; Complexities of students learning English as an additional language; Overuse of SLI for students who do not qualify; Parents’ intervention in decision making; Rule bending by administration; Disagreement between team members; Need for greater SLP empowerment and advocacy. SLPs and leaders may use the CHAT framework to reduce obstacles and as a catalyst for change.
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| Sharynne McLeod and Marie Ireland |
Enjoy and share this video "The Lifelong Effects Of Speaking Multiple Languages" created by Charles Sturt University profiling our Speech-Language-Multilingualism team's research (@DrKateCrowe @SV_SLP @VanTranTH @KateMargetson @helenlblake )
Multilingualism is a superpower!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBrXmRW7lwg
https://www.facebook.com/28431613915/posts/10160630198933916/
February 2021 update from our colleague from Western Sydney University: https://theconversation.com/dont-be-afraid-to-pass-your-first-language-and-accent-to-your-kids-it-could-be-their-superpower-143093
The Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) is a free parent-report screening tool that has been translated into over 60 languages. To date, there is cross-linguistic evidence regarding its validity and reliability reported in 18 studies of over 4,235 children from 14 countries (Australia, Croatia, Fiji, Germany, Hong Kong SAR China, Italy, Korea, Jamaica, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Viet Nam) speaking 14 languages (Cantonese, Croatian, Dutch, English, Fijian (Standard or dialects), Fiji-Hindi, German, Italian, Jamaican Creole, Korean, Portuguese, Slovenian, Swedish, Vietnamese). Cross-linguistic research provides support for the use of the ICS as a primary screening tool for young children to identify which children require additional assessment. Additional research has been undertaken to determine its relevance during assessment and intervention as a descriptive tool and outcome measure for children (and some adults) with speech sound disorders, cleft lip and palate, hearing loss, and autism spectrum disorder. The review concludes with an exploration of cross-linguistic possibilities of the ICS within implementation science.