As a bilingual speech-language pathologist located in a major city in the United States, I can attest to the need for understanding how to work with professional interpreters. Working properly with a professional interpreter will help with better communication, improved interaction, a greater overall understanding, and eventually a more accurate diagnosis and appropriate therapy. As you know, these last two points are critical because much of our therapy is based on the initial diagnosis. With an improper diagnosis, you may be missing a real deficit, recommending therapy for one who truly may not need it at all, or you may be recommending more therapy than what is needed for your prospective patient.
In the ever-changing landscape of the United States, it is becoming increasingly likely that you will encounter others who speak a language that may be completely unfamiliar to you. You may feel unprepared or intimidated by the fact that you are the communication professional and you do not feel that you have a clear, direct line of communication with your patient. Luckily, there are professional interpreters available often in-person, by phone, and possibly even online. Now what do you do when your interpreter arrives? Here’s what we have found to be useful rules, tactics or techniques for working effectively with a professional interpreter:
· Learn about your prospective patient’s language and culture
o Access reputable sources to help you find good, reliable information
§ CHALLENGE: Not all cultures are the same
§ POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: Before you see your patient, take the time to learn about general cultural norms, speech and language norms, and dialectal variations—you will quickly find that there is much to learn and you may find that there is not much information available about your prospective patient’s language
§ Recruit the help of others in the community or online
· Monitor the interpreter’s pauses and visual engagement with the patient while he or she is speaking–You are a communication professional—there are some universal signs of communication difficulties that you might be able to detect–pausing or stopping infrequently is one of them
§ PROBLEM:
· Prolonged pauses may be “normal” in the language being used but frequent and prolonged pauses and/or eye contact that does not appear to be culturally appropriate may also indicate that your interpreter is struggling to interpret your exact message
§ POSSIBLE SOLUTION
· Ask your core questions at different times and in different ways—this will help to improve your chances at arriving at an answer that matches your questions
· Talk to your patient and make culturally appropriate eye contact with your patient
o You should do everything in your power to help your patient feel valued
§ PROBLEM: Oftentimes, patients are somewhat left out of the conversation although everyone is present because of the patient
§ POSSIBLE SOLUTION: If you are in the same room, consider having all participants across from each other in a triangular position to help encourage equal dialogue and opportunity for a viable communication exchange
Photo by Thijs van der Weide from Pexels
If you or someone you know needs the services of a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist, please be sure to discuss your concerns with a physician, a speech-language pathologist, or another qualified provider. You can also find a provider through the ASHA ProFind service or visit us at www.bilingualspeech.org for more information. Additional information on this topic can be found at stutteringhelp.org or at asha.org. NOTE: This article is intended only as a general source of information, i.e, it is not intended to replace information given to you by a qualified health professional that is familiar with your particular circumstances. Lastly, if you have an urgent medical need, please call 9-1-1 or speak with your physician.