The experiences of speech-language pathologists when collaborating with spoken language interpreters, multilingual families, and their children with hearing loss

The parents of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may require a spoken language interpreter to access early-intervention services. This research sought to describe speech-language pathologists’ perspectives regarding collaboration with interpreters in this space. Twenty-seven speech-language pathologists working in Australia completed a cross-sectional mixed-method online survey. Participants responded to questions about knowledge they thought was important for interpreters to know before collaborating in early-intervention and their best and worst experiences when collaborating with interpreters. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of participants’ responses were undertaken. Less than half of the 27 speech-language pathologists reported that a qualified interpreter was always used in appointments. Speech-language pathologists stated that the most important information for interpreters to know before an appointment included key terminology in both languages and the purpose of the appointment for which they were interpreting. Major themes relating to before, during, and after the session were identified. Subthemes relating to briefing, procedural skills and prior knowledge, and environmental factors were identified. Speech-language pathologists identified significant barriers to effective collaboration with interpreters in early-intervention settings. Future research should seek the perspectives of interpreters, educators, caregivers, and deaf or hard-of-hearing children collaborating in the early-intervention space.