How speech therapists can support parents of multilingual children — Interview with Nadège Brutus

When you think of a speech therapist in a school setting, what do you think of?

If you imagine a student receiving one-on-one help from a professional in an office, you're right. But, in fact, this description of the work of a speech therapist in a school setting only scratches the surface.

When I think of a speech therapist in a school setting, you know what comes to mind?

Since my interview with Nadège Brutus, which I had the opportunity to discuss during Hearing and Communication Awareness Month, she's the one I envision. I see her breaking new ground in speech therapy and forging her own path to do things differently.

But who is Nadège Brutus? What does her work consist of? And how does she manage to support families of diverse nationalities?

Keep reading to find out!

Who is Nadège Brutus?

Nadège holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and psychoeducation from the University of Montreal and completed her master's degree in speech-language pathology at the University of Ottawa in 2009.

For about ten years, she has worked in a primary school in the Côte-des-Neiges district with a non-native French-speaking clientele.

Her mandate? To intervene with multilingual students who have a developmental language disorder.

Diversity is at the heart of his actions and has challenged him since the beginning of his practice.

What does Nadège's work as a speech therapist in a school setting consist of?

Nadège is in charge of the 3rd cycle, and at the school where she works, she has 2 other speech therapist colleagues.

One thing Nadège loves about her job is the autonomy and flexibility she has. Although she's a speech-language pathologist, she wears many hats, including that of a key interventionist.

Many students at the school come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Their families sometimes need clothing, food, housing, etc.

Who is providing assistance to these families in need?

That's Nadège! She accompanies families to their doctor's appointments, she meets with parents in her office and offers them something to snack on, she talks with teachers every week, etc. Nadège goes so far beyond the traditional role of a speech therapist!

But why do all this?

In part, Nadège's background helps her to empathize with the parents she meets. Her parents are first-generation Haitian immigrants, so she understands the realities of immigrant families. She therefore asks herself: if the student were me, how would my parents have liked to be received by the school's speech therapist?

Nadège also understands that she will not necessarily be able to offer effective assessment and interventions to a child if there are no other support measures.

Thus, this speech therapist offers a community-based approach, and collaborates with many actors in the community to meet the multifactorial needs of her students and their families.

And, for Nadège, doing things differently opens doors that she could never have opened in a more traditional setting!

Myths about multilingualism

Unfortunately, some misconceptions about bilingualism and multilingualism are still prevalent in our society. Here are three:

• A child will be more successful in society if they favour the language of the country and leave aside their mother tongue.

  That's completely false. To get the parents to reason about this, Nadège asks them an interesting question.

  "When you return to visit your country of origin, how will your child be able to communicate with other family members if they don't know the language?" Children of other nationalities can already suffer from an identity crisis when they live in another country... It is crucial that they do not feel like strangers in their host country AND in their country of origin!

• The parent should speak to their child in the language of the country where they live, even if the parent does not speak that language fluently.

  Despite the good intentions of parents who follow this bad advice, speaking in a language one does not master can have a devastating effect on the parent-child relationship.

  Furthermore, it's impossible to provide a good language model if you speak broken language. This risks hindering the child's language development, in addition to weakening the child's trust in their parent.
  To learn more about the impact that trying to stimulate our child's language development in a language we don't speak fluently can have, You can listen to this podcast episode. In this episode, Lorianne Lacerte, a speech therapist colleague, invites me to share some information about bilingualism. Without wanting to toot my own horn, it's quite interesting!

• Integrating into the culture of a new country while mastering one's native language is impossible.

  Nadège is living proof that this idea is false.

  She claims to have taken the best of both Haitian and Quebec culture. What a great idea! Every culture has its strengths and weaknesses, so she was able to filter out the aspects she liked less and emphasize those she preferred. In a way, she created her own culture.

11 tips to help multilingual families when working in a school setting

In the case of a speech therapist in private practice, access to parents is easy. Often, one of the parents accompanies their child to appointments, which allows the speech therapist to talk with the parent and develop a good relationship with them.

But how can speech-language pathologists working in schools establish such a relationship with parents? They rarely see parents during interventions, so how can they do this? Is it possible to incorporate the concept of parental support when working in a school setting?

It takes several qualities and a lot of effort, but yes! It's possible!
Here are 11 tried-and-true tips that Nadège applies in her practice to help multilingual families.

1. Creates a bond of trust with the parents and the child

Building a relationship of trust with the parents, but also with the child, is essential.

Parents should feel comfortable contacting the speech therapist if they have questions, share their opinions, etc. For their part, children should also be ready to open up to the speech therapist, to share their feelings and impressions.

2. Take an interest in family culture

A child's culture is part of their identity. They shouldn't be ashamed of their religion and customs. It's not something they should hide, especially not from their speech therapist.

To emphasize this point, Nadège talks with the child about their religious practices. For example, if the child was absent during the week, Nadège asks why. If it was due to a religious celebration, she inquires about the event and the beliefs associated with it.

3. Be respectful and don't judge

Respect and non-judgment can be felt.

If you respect parents and don't judge them, they will realize it. In a world where these two qualities are rare, speech therapists must make a special effort to demonstrate them in order to help multilingual families.

4. Pay attention to your non-verbal communication and tone of voice.

Studies show that communication is divided as follows: 7% purely verbal (the words used and their meaning), 38% paraverbal (tone of voice, rhythm, etc.) and 55% nonverbal (gestures and facial expressions).

So yes, choosing the right words is important. But even more important than the content of our message is how we say it.

Non-verbal cues and tone of voice speak volumes. They speak louder than our words!

When she talks with parents, Nadège makes sure to use non-verbal cues that show respect, understanding, and empathy. She also adjusts her tone of voice accordingly.

All of this fosters a great relationship with parents, but also with children!

5. Show that you are flexible and available

To help multilingual families, Nadège is flexible and available. Parents are strongly encouraged to contact her if they have any questions. She even receives calls from parents whose children are now in high school (meaning their follow-up with Nadège has ended), and she takes the time to listen to them and guide them! You go, girl!

6. Be patient

Building a good relationship with parents doesn't happen overnight.

Initially, some parents may seem uninterested in their child's school life. The school-based speech therapist will therefore need to work hard and patiently to develop parental interest and help them see the importance of this aspect of their child's life.

7. Empower parents

For Nadège, the partnership with parents is non-negotiable. She believes she needs them and always tries to empower them.

What does giving power to parents actually mean?

It's about ensuring that parents are well-informed so they can make informed decisions about their child on their own. It's also about recognizing that just because a parent doesn't speak French doesn't mean they can't help the child.

The parent is the expert on the child, and the speech therapist is the guide. Each has their role, and both are essential.
If the parent feels they have the power to help their child, it will strengthen their emotional bond with the child.

8. Check the parents' understanding of the situation

The speech therapist cannot assume that the parents fully understand the situation.
According to Nadège, it's important not to take responsibility. She therefore prefers to speak more slowly, repeat herself often, and then check that the parents understand. If she notices any misunderstanding, she finds solutions to ensure that the parents have access to the information she wants to provide.

9. Helps parents navigate the school system in their new country

Honestly, when I direct parents to the public sector for free speech therapy services, I feel a bit like I'm sending them to the lion's den.

Even in our home country, understanding the healthcare system isn't always easy! So, imagine how overwhelming it can be for immigrants…

These parents will therefore truly appreciate being guided through the school system of their new country. This is what Nadège does, and to ensure that the parents fully understand her explanations, she often uses interpreters.

10. It relieves parents of guilt regarding the use of the home language

By showing parents that they don't have to abandon their home language, a huge weight is lifted from their shoulders. They understand that they don't have to hide this part of their identity, and that it is even beneficial for their child.

Furthermore, Nadège encourages parents to read stories and watch television with their children in their native language, and she emphasizes the importance of interaction with the child. So, by watching television and reading together, parents and children can take the opportunity to discuss what they are watching or reading.

11. Collaborates with parents, but also with all the staff involved in the student's life.

At the beginning of each school year, Nadège conducts vision screenings with the school nurse to identify students who may need help.
Basically, it aims for partnership with all the staff surrounding the student, such as the teacher, the speech therapist, etc.

For Nadège, it's not a competition to see who the child will prefer, or who will ultimately help the child the most. It's a team effort where everyone has something very valuable to contribute, and the goal is to see the child thrive in both their family and school life.

Nadège's number 1 piece of advice for her speech therapist colleagues

For Nadège, the most important advice she can give to her speech therapist colleagues (and even to teachers) is to recognize the importance of using diverse materials. And not just with children of other nationalities, but with all students!

Through reading, students can feel valued and represented in the characters, and thus cultivate their love of reading.

Moreover, Nadège is part of a collective of parents who share a range of children's literature featuring racialized characters, and you can find the collective's Instagram account under the name @biblioafrojeunesse.

In short, if you are a speech therapist in a school setting, you have the power to help many families.

So, if you haven't already, incorporate the principle of parental support into your practice as soon as possible! If you don't know where to start, Lorianne Lacerte and I have the perfect training for you.

Good luck!