To take the courses in Bilingual Language Acquisition, no Spanish knowledge is required. At least intermediate knowledge of Spanish is required to take the Spanish Language Acquisition course. To fully participate in STEPS, including all courses and clinical practicum, fluency in Spanish is required. This includes low-advanced proficiency in listening and speaking skills as measured by a phone or video (zoom) interview prior to admission to the STEPS program. Ability to read and write in Spanish is also expected.

We have a new question in the CSDCAS application portal that says the following, “The MA program also includes the highly regarded Speech Therapy Education, Practicum, and Services (STEPS) bilingual training program (see https://sphs.indiana.edu/graduate/ma-slp-degree/steps/index.html). Applicants who are interested in participating in the STEPS program must have native or near-native fluency in both Spanish and English. Oral skill proficiency will be based on a phone/video (zoom) interview with the STEPS director. Would you like to be considered for the STEPS program?” If interested in the program, reply to this question in the affirmative.

Once you have indicated your interest in the STEPS program (see above) and submitted your completed application, we will contact you to schedule your interview. We expect that interviews will take place from mid-December to the end of February, before the department makes admission decisions. Letters of admission are typically sent in March.

At the present time, ASHA does not offer special certification as a bilingual SLP. However, students who participate fully in all aspects of STEPS will receive a formal letter, suitable for use with licensing agencies and employers, indicating that they have participated in the program, have taken coursework concerning bilingual SLP, and have completed numerous practicum experiences geared toward working with the Latino population in schools.

STEPS students will also qualify for licensure as an SLP in the Indiana public school system. Students wishing to obtain a bilingual school system credential in other states should contact those states to learn about licensure requirements there.

The following courses are required for all students who wish to be acknowledged as having completed the STEPS program:

• Spanish Language Acquisition and Disorders
• Child Dual Language Learners: Development, Assessment and Intervention
• Tertulias: Fall I, Spring I and Fall II semesters

Students interested in participating in bilingual clinical practicum (Spanish), must take the two courses mentioned above.

For more information on the program, please contact Andrea Arends aarends@indiana.edu, or Dr. Carol Mesa cmesa@iu.edu