Child healthcare nurses believe that bilingual children show slower language development, simplify screening procedures and delay referrals

Abstract

Child healthcare nurses need easily accessible information and clear guidelines on the language development of bilingual children to ensure that bilingual and monolingual children receive equitable language screening services.

Development of a language screening instrument for Swedish 4‐year‐olds

“…All the multilingual children were not born in Sweden, but most had attended a Swedish preschool for at least 2 years. In a recent investigation of Swedish health nurses' view on language screening on children with a multilingual background at 30-36 months, Nayeb et al (2015) found that the nurses tended to simplify the procedure and were less inclined to refer to an SLT, even if the child exhibited difficulties. This was due to a belief that multilingual children are expected to have slower language development.…”

Modifying a language screening tool for three‐year‐old children identified severe language disorders six months earlier

“…1). The remaining 105 children (53% boys) were between 29 and 31 months old at the time of the child health centres visit (mean 30 months, range [29][30][31]. Most children (98%) attended preschool, which is typical for Swedish children of this age.…”

Influence of current input–output and age of first exposure on phonological acquisition in early bilingual Spanish–English‐speaking kindergarteners

“…English language learners (ELLs) are three times more likely to be identified as having a speech and language impairment than bilingual peers who are English proficient (Rueda et al 2002). There is a tendency to give younger children more time to learn the school language before referring them for special education (Nayeb et al 2014), but bilingual children are referred at higher rates as they progress in school (Broomfield andDodd 2004, Winter 1999). Analysis of enrolment patterns in special education programmes show that ELLs who show low performance in both their languages are the most likely to be placed in special education programmes (Artiles et al 2005, Guiberson 2009).…”

“…There is a tendency to give younger children more time to learn the school language before referring them for special education (Nayeb et al . ), but bilingual children are referred at higher rates as they progress in school (Broomfield and Dodd , Winter ). Analysis of enrolment patterns in special education programmes show that ELLs who show low performance in both their languages are the most likely to be placed in special education programmes (Artiles et al .…”