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Original Article

A survey of bilingual children referred for investigation of communication disorders: a comparison with monolingual children referred in one area in England

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Pages 1-23 | Received 01 Jun 2004, Accepted 01 Aug 2004, Published online: 19 Jan 2010
 

Abstract

Many countries have large minority ethnic populations who rely on majority language speakers to refer them for assessment of communication disorders. This study addresses the questions: do referral patterns for bilingual children match those of their monolingual peers and can risk factors be identified to facilitate future referrals? Data were examined for bilingual and monolingual children referred in one area in England over a 2-year period. Chi-square analyses were used to compare the two data sets and identify significant differences. Referral patterns of bilingual children do show significant differences to those of their monolingual peers. There is evidence that bilingual children with speech disorders are being overlooked. Languages spoken by bilingual children are frequently misreported. The high incidence of prolonged bottle feeding in some communities is highlighted. There is a need to train referral agents, including interpreting staff. Consideration should be given to introducing a screening procedure.

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