Confidence and Preparedness of Wisconsin Speech-Language Pathologists and Graduate Students in Serving Bilingual Children

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Communication Disorders Quarterly

Abstract

This study examined the self-perceived confidence and preparedness of 128 certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and 26 SLP graduate students in Wisconsin when serving bilingual children. Participants, monolingual or bilingual, completed an online survey. The relationship between confidence, preparedness, academic coursework, and continuing education was investigated. Results indicated that bilingual SLPs show higher confidence and preparedness levels than monolingual SLPs when working with bilingual children. However, both groups exhibited significantly higher confidence and preparedness when working with monolingual children. A regression analysis revealed that the number of continuing education courses (CEUs) significantly predicts confidence and preparedness levels for working with bilingual children. In contrast, the number of academic coursework topics covered did not significantly correlate with confidence or preparedness. The results highlight the need for specialized learning opportunities that focus on the complexities of bilingual service provision in improving the readiness of both monolingual and bilingual SLPs, and graduate students to serve bilingual populations effectively.

DOI

10.1177/15257401251313799

Publication Date

1-1-2025

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