Course curriculum

  • 1

    Course content

    • PowerPoint

    • Navigating Language Dysfluency - Strategies for Interpreters

    • Quiz

    • Evaluation

    • Continuing Education Credits

Course information

Course description: 

This workshop equips interpreters with the knowledge and tools to effectively work with Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children who present with language dysfluency due to limited early language access. Participants will explore common patterns of dysfluency in American Sign Language (ASL), understand how language deprivation impacts cognitive-linguistic development, and discuss the unique challenges this creates for interpretation. Through real-world examples and practical strategies, we will examine how to maintain accurate and ethical interpretations while supporting comprehension for this population, with special attention to the role of educational interpreters.


Agenda:

30 minutes: Understanding Language Dysfluency

30 minutes: Linguistic Presentation of Language Deprivation

30 minutes: Challenges for Interpreters

30 minutes: Strategies for Effective Interpreting


Learner outcomes:

Participants will be able to:

  1. Explain why interpreting for a child with language deprivation is different than traditional interpreting

  2. Provide 3 examples of errors a child with language deprivation may make in ASL

  3. State 3 considerations for educational interpreters when working with DHH children with dysfluent language

Instructor(s)

Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo

Kimberly Ofori-Sanzo is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who has experience working at a school for the deaf, as well as presenting and publishing on topics related to language acquisition, bilingualism, and language deprivation. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Vermont in 2010, her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Gallaudet University in 2012, and her Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology (SLPD) in 2022. She is a board-certified specialist in child language (BCS-CL) through the American Board of Child Language and Language Disorders and is co-founder of the American Board of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialists (ABDHHS).

Speaker disclosures:

Financial disclosures: Dr. Ofori-Sanzo is the founder of Language First and is receiving payment for this course.

Nonfinancial disclosures: Dr. Ofori-Sanzo is a member of ASHA, ABCLLD, and serves on the American Board of DHH Specialists.

Continuing Education

This course is offered for 0.20 ASHA CEUs.