Multilingual Parenting and Communication: A Guide for Professionals

In the realm of audiological and communication disabilities, parents often struggle to engage in normal, language-stimulating conversations with their children. The added complexity of being multilingual can lead to feelings of responsibility for the speech and language difficulties experienced by their child, causing them to feel uncertain in their communication. Consequently, they may speak less to their child. Professionals, too, are often unsure about the best approach to take when it comes to raising a multilingual child with a disability. This book aims to alleviate these uncertainties by providing practical guidance and insights into advising these parents.

This comprehensive guide offers a wealth of information, including background knowledge on the combination of multilingualism and various disabilities. It equips professionals with the necessary tools to shape their advice, incorporating factors such as the multilingual situation, the child's abilities and limitations, the parents' capacities, and the wishes of both parties. Inside the book, professionals will discover valuable resources such as questionnaires, informative brochures, and a protocol to aid in their practice.

Target Audience

While primarily aimed at speech therapists, this book also proves invaluable to professionals such as developmental psychologists, educational consultants, and educators working in both mainstream and special education settings. With over 25 years of experience working with multilingual children and their parents, the author, Mirjam Blumenthal, is a qualified speech therapist and psychologist. Her expertise extends to her current role as the project leader for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity at KEGG.

Overall, "Multilingual Parenting and Communication: A Guide for Professionals" is a trusted resource that fills the gaps in knowledge and empowers professionals to effectively support multilingual children with disabilities and their parents throughout their language development journey.