ACQ Vol 11 No 1 2009

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1 How to access interpreter services
This policy directive from NSW Health contains
comprehensive information regarding when to use and
how to book health care interpreters from the NSW
Health Care Interpreter Service. Also included is the
code of ethics for the Australian Institute of Interpreters
and Translators (AUSIT) which can assist clinicians
gaining a greater understanding of how interpreters see
their role and their boundaries:
Clinicians in private practice looking for interpreters
can access them through the Australian Health Care
Directory:
Health_industry_resources/Interpreters/search
2 CALD play groups
The Play Group Association of NSW has a facility on its
website under “Find a play group” that allows you to
search for playgroups where participants speak a
particular language. Languages include Indigenous and
most European languages. Free call 1800 171 882 or visit:
playgroup
3 CALD carers
Carers NSW has four popular carer fact sheets
translated into a range of languages. These fact sheets
include information about Carers NSW and information
about carer support groups. Other translated fact sheets
include “the seven habits of highly effective carers” and
“information regarding the impact of a home
placement”. A free carer support kit can also be ordered
in up to 13 languages. Free call 1800 242 636 or go to
sitemap: caring in a culturally diverse community at
4 Translated resources
This NSW Health website is part of the Multicultural
Health Communication Service and contains excellent
Top 10 Resources for
Students and New
Graduates Working with
CALD C lients
Elizabeth Old
I am Elizabeth Old and I’m about to complete my Masters Degree at Macquarie University. During
my placements I’ve had the experience of assessing adult and paediatric clients with the help of an
interpreter. I have also treated a paediatric client in his first language with the assistance of an
interpreter. I look forward to working with more culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) clients
in my final placement. I was inspired to put this resource list together while I was at a meeting of the
Multicultural Interest Group. I had seen a similar list for Aphasia resources which I thought was great,
so I decided to apply the idea to resources to use with culturally and linguistically diverse clients. I
have tried to make them practical – the sort of things I would like at my finger tips when I start
working. I hope you find them useful!
cue cards in many languages as well as a multicultural
phrase book:
mhcs/subpages/sands/signs_symbols_index.html
5 Information regarding the values and beliefs
of different cultures
To deliver services in the best possible way it is
appropriate to consider different cultural attitudes
towards sickness, ageing and developmental disorders.
The Multicultural Communities Gold Coast Inc. has
fact sheets that provide information about history,
culture and attitudes towards aged care, health and
sickness for a variety of cultures:
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Books addressing how to treat language disorders in
bilingual children and adults also contain useful
cultural information. For example: Kohnert, K. (2008).
Language disorders in bilingual children and adults. San
Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.
6 Phonemic inventories across languages
The American Speech Language Hearing Association
has information regarding the phonemic system of a
number of languages which can be used to identify
sounds in a client’s phonological system in languages
other than English. This website also has many other
useful resources:
leadership-projects/multicultural/
7 Dynamic assessment
Dynamic assessment can be used to discover a client’s
current level of functioning and the best means of
facilitating their further learning using tasks which are
minimally dependent on prior knowledge or
experience. Articles to start with include:
n Laing, S., & Kamhi, A. (2003). Alternative assess­
ment of language and literacy in culturally and
24 Sp eech Pathology Australia
MULTICULTURALISM AND DYSPHAGIA