Note: Throughout this piece, we alternate between the use of “Latino” and “Latine” to refer to the same population of students—depending on each individual interviewee’s cultural and language preference.
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate culture, language and community—values that deeply shape the discipline of communication sciences and disorders (CSD). To highlight the impact of Spanish/bilingual-focused initiatives in CSD, I interviewed three inspiring groups: one founded by students, one by faculty, and one by a professional in audiology. Each program shares a common goal—creating spaces where Hispanic/Latine/bilingual students can thrive and contribute to a future where representation in the field is not the exception but the expectation.
Student Led-Initiative–CSD Bilingüe Suite
Responses by Cassandra Lopez, M.A., CCC-SLP, Founder
Mission/Purpose
The Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) Bilingüe Suite is a dynamic student-led organization dedicated to empowering Hispanic/Latine students through mentorship and experiential learning. Our mission is to celebrate diversity, equity, and belonging by cultivating an inviting and respectful bilingual environment. [We] aim to prepare the next generation of bilingual clinicians to deliver culturally and linguistically responsive care and to create multimodal resources (e.g., videos, flyers, podcasts) for Spanish-speaking families using artificial intelligence (AI).
Community Building
Our meetings—which we call Suite Meets—begin with la bienvenida (greeting) and comida (food). Each Suite Meetopens with a welcome, food, and life updates from members as a way to foster community and belonging. Snacks also help students stay energized—sometimes, it’s their first meal of the day.
Success Stories
Members feel better supported and more confident applying to graduate programs, particularlythose programs with bilingual tracks. One member is now enrolled in a bilingual doctoral speech-language pathology program at Indiana University; twoothers are enrolled in doctor of audiology (AuD) programs.
Collaboration and Challenges
We’ve partnered with the IMPACT (Innovative Mentoring and Professional Advancement through Cultural Training) program—an initiative at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) that focuses on mentoring and supporting students from diverse backgrounds—and with our local NSSLHA chapter. We also recently invited a bilingual Latine student in computer science to support AI training.
Funding meals remains our biggest challenge. Food is central to how we build belonging, but current grants don’t cover it. Often, I fund snacks personally.
Vision
I envision a future where Hispanic/Latine/bilingual students in CSD are provided with more grant, scholarship, and program opportunities to pursue careers in audiology and speech-language pathology. These opportunities may look likegrants funding undergraduate and graduate theses. It could also include scholarships that we coulduse to fund students’ living (e.g., rent, groceries, gas) and academic (e.g., laptop, books, software)expenses.
Additionally, I envision a future where there are more bilingual-track programs or bilingual organizations designed to support the linguistic clinical training of aspiring bilingualAuDs and SLPs. Given that the education system in the United States is predominantly delivered in English, thereare rare opportunities for bilingual students to learn and practice clinical language skills neededto serve bilingual populations when they are not enrolled in a bilingual-track program or haveopportunities to complete clinical hours working with bilingual patients. Therefore, in the future, I envision increased access to bilingual training for Hispanic/Latine CSD students.
Faculty Created Program—Más que Palabras (+QP)
Responses by Gabriela Simon-Cereijido, PhD, CCC-SLP, Founder
Mission/Purpose
The mission of Más que Palabras (+QP) is to create a welcoming space where Hispanic/Latino students can strengthen discipline-specific vocabulary in Spanish and English, increase their confidence, and integrate knowledge across courses and clinical experiences.
Community Building
The program is embedded in our department’s Connect Hour—a time set aside for community-building. Students and faculty come together to practice language skills, share experiences, and build relationships outside of the classroom.
Success Stories
Students have reported feeling more confident using Spanish in clinical settings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they specifically requested the program because it gave them both professional support and a sense of connection during an otherwise isolating time.
Collaboration and Challenges
Students have presented bilingual adaptations of clinical tools at the California Speech Language Hearing Association (CSHA) and ASHA. We’ve also collaborated internationally with Universidad de Buenos Aires on joint case presentations in Spanish. We’re eager to expand partnerships, including with Cal State LA’s Bilingual Education Program.
One ongoing challenge is the limited availability of structured opportunities for students to practice bilingual clinical vocabulary in safe, supportive environments. The field of CSD can better support Hispanic/Latino communities by expanding mentorship, increasing bilingual training opportunities, and developing culturally relevant resources.
Vision
We envision a future where Hispanic/Latino students are leaders and advocates in CSD. +QP gives them the tools, confidence, and community support to thrive while honoring their bilingual and bicultural identities. At its core, the program reflects the belief that language access is health equity.
Professional Led Program—Audiology en Español
This response was written by the founder, Alejandra Ullauri, AuD, MPH.
Mission/Purpose
We are building capacity in audiology to meet the needs of the Latino/Hispanic population. We are doing this by (1) teaching medical Spanish for Audiologists to bilingual AuD students and clinicians and (2) teaching courses on how to build an audiology practice that meets the needs of a multicultural and multilingual population.
Community Building
We host virtual Learn and Connect meetings 4‒5 times a year, with guest speakers presenting in Spanish about multiple topics of interest.
Success Stories
I have received emails from students who are conducting training sessions in their externship sites and sharing what they have learned in our courses about testing materials for Spanish-speaking patients, working with professional interpreters, creating patient education materials, and so on. Other students have gone back to take Spanish to improve their grammar or fluency so they can better serve their Latino/Hispanic patients. Many have shared that they feel they now have a community of Spanish-speaking colleagues.
Vision
I want to make sure that Spanish-speaking patients experience language-concordant care, and we can only do that if we ensure that our bilingual AuD students have the Spanish language skills to use the language in a clinical setting to provide safe and effective care.
Though different in scope, CSD Bilingüe Suite, Más que Palabras (+QP), and Audiology en Español all share a common ground: creating spaces where Hispanic/Latino students and professionals can develop bilingual skills, build community, and envision a more equitable future for CSD.
Together, these three programs point toward a future where Hispanic/Latino clinicians are not just participants in the field—they are leaders shaping its very direction.