SLPs have noted the diagnostic challenge of distinguishing between the clinical indicators of language disorder, language delay based on the impacts of being reared in poverty, and the linguistic variation of students who speak African American English (AAE). This session discusses evidence-based assessment and treatment practices that SLPs can utilize when working with speakers of AAE and other nonmainstream dialects to help them identify students with true language and literacy disorders and provide needed interventions in a timely manner.

This course is a recorded session from the 2021/2022 online conference “Reading, Writing, and the SLP: Preschool to High School.”

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Discuss ways in which African American English is differentiated from Mainstream American English
• Describe the relationship between oral language skills and literacy outcomes in students who are African American
• Discuss non-biased assessment and treatment practices for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

DEI Professional Development Requirement

This course counts toward the ASHA certification maintenance professional development requirement for DEI (which encompasses cultural competency; cultural humility; culturally responsive practice; and diversity, equity, and inclusion). See more courses that count toward this requirement or read more about professional development requirements for certification maintenance.

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.