Multilingual Children’s Speech Assessment: A Contemporary Global Update

Learn how to identify multilingual children with speech sound disorders using the latest evidence from 130 languages. This course covers children’s speech development, assessment, analysis, and differential diagnosis, including practical application of the Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL).

Explore Course

Assessment of multilingual children’s speech can be challenging, especially in languages that are unfamiliar to speech-language pathologists. The first half will provide (mostly free) resources to support speech development and assessment in 130+ languages and dialects.

The second half will present the Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL), a practical evidence-based protocol for assessing children’s speech in unfamiliar languages.

This course will be available on demand after the live SSD Series kick off course, Oct. 8, 8:30 p.m. ET.

Presenters

Sharynne McLeod
Ph.D
Sharynne McLeod, Ph.D. is a Distinguished Professor at Charles Sturt University, Australia. She has received Honors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Life Membership of Speech Pathology Australia, and served as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. She has undertaken research into children’s speech across 130 languages and dialects.
Kate Margetson
Ph.D.
Kate Margetson, Ph.D. is an academic at Charles Sturt University, Australia. Her research focusses on assessment and differential diagnosis of speech sound disorders and supporting speech-language pathologists to work with multilingual children. She has worked as a speech-language pathologist in Australia and Vietnam, and is a director of Trinh Foundation Australia.
Helen L. Blake
Ph.D.
Helen L. Blake, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Fellow at Charles Sturt University, Australia, a certified practicing speech pathologist, and a member of the International Expert Panel on Multilingual Children’s Speech. Helen’s research focuses on English proficiency, intelligibility, and participation of multilingual speakers and is informed by her previous role as a standardization officer in air traffic control.

Learning Objectives

Identify resources to support children’s speech development and assessment in over 130 languages and dialects.
Explain how to undertake speech assessments with children who speak unfamiliar languages using the SACHL.
Discuss reasons why multilingual children’s speech may not match standard adult pronunciation.

Agenda

10 minutes	Welcome and overview of multilingualism
45 minutes	Part 1: Resources to support children’s speech development and assessment
40 minutes	Part 2: Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL)
20 minutes	SACHL case examples
5 minutes	Summary and conclusion

Disclosures

Financial Disclosures:	Sharynne McLeod, Helen L. Blake and Kate Margetson are employed by Charles Sturt University. Sharynne McLeod receives royalties from books from publishers including Oxford University Press, Paul H. Brookes, Pearson, Plural Publishing, J&R Press, and Multilingual Matters. Sharynne is receiving compensation for this course. Helen is receiving compensation for this course. Kate is receiving compensation for this course.
Non-Financial Disclosures:	Sharynne McLeod is the co-author of the Intelligibility in Context Scale Kate Margetson and Sharynne McLeod are co-authors of the Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL) Helen has no non-financial relationships to disclose.
Content Disclosures:	Sharynne McLeod receives royalties from books from publishers including Oxford University Press, Paul H. Brookes, Pearson, Plural Publishing, J&R Press, and Multilingual Matters. Sharynne McLeod is the co-author of the Intelligibility in Context Scale Kate Margetson and Sharynne McLeod are co-authors of the Speech Assessment of Children’s Home Language(s) (SACHL) Helen has no additional content information to disclose

ASHA

This course is offered for .2 ASHA CEUs, Intermediate Level, Professional Area

Speech Sound Disorders Series Early Bird Bundle 2025: $115.00
Save $35 by purchasing the early bird bundle before the live event on Oct. 8. The bundle includes the 90-min live offering co-presented by Drs. Sharynne MeLoead and Kelly Farquharson, "Clinical Use of Speech Sound Acquisition Data", an 60-min on-demand course by Dr. Farquharson, "/ɹ/ you frustrated by working on /ɹ/? Try facilitative contexts!", and a 120-min on-demand course by Dr. MeLeod. Includes access to the live replay, recorded course, and optional ASHA reporting for all 3 courses.

Add-ons

I Have a Cue for That! Learn the 11 Cues You Need for Your Speech Sound Caseload

$25.00

From a past Speech Sound Disorders Series: Participants will learn how to individualize a range of multisensory production cues and expand their toolbox using therapy resources and materials available on the internet. Includes access to the recorded course and optional ASHA reporting.