Confidence and Preparedness of Wisconsin Speech-Language Pathologists and Graduate Students in Serving Bilingual Children.

This study investigated the self-perceived confidence and preparedness of 128 certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and 26 graduate students (GS) in Wisconsin when serving bilingual children. Findings showed that bilingual SLPs reported higher confidence and preparedness than monolingual SLPs in working with bilingual children, though all groups felt more confident and prepared when working with monolingual children. Continuing education courses (CEUs), rather than academic coursework, significantly predicted confidence and preparedness levels, highlighting the need for specialized, ongoing professional development focused on bilingual service provision. Graduate students reported lower confidence and preparedness overall, suggesting gaps in training that could be addressed through enhanced experiential learning and coursework. The study emphasizes the importance of targeted education and practical experience to improve culturally and linguistically responsive care for bilingual populations.