Resources for Parents

Information for Parents of Bilingual Children 

Bilingualism Matters 

Focus On South Florida: Bilingual Children with Dr. Erika Hoff 

New York Times Article: Raising a Truly Bilingual Child

Baby Doctor Mamas: Bilingualism and Babies Podcast

Kletsheads: The podcast about bilingual children for parents, teachers and speech therapists

Kletsheads is a podcast about bilingual children for parents, teachers, and speech-language therapists. What can you expect if you’re raising your children bilingually? What’s important? What will help your children’s language development and what won’t? In each episode, Dr. Sharon Unsworth, linguist, and mother of two children (both bilingual, of course), discusses the science behind the language development of bilingual children with another expert. Along the way, there are practical tips, we hear from children about what it’s like growing up with two or more languages, and we talk to parents and professionals about their experiences with bilingual children. You can listen via the website (www.kletsheadspodcast.org) or by searching for Kletsheads [English edition] in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Listen now to podcast episodes featuring Dr. Hoff!

Season 1 Episode 2: How Much Language Does a Child Need to Hear to Become Bilingual?

Season 1 Episode 7: Does it Matter if a Bilingual Child Only Actively Uses One Language?

Early Steps  

Here are a few centers in South Florida that offer early intervention services for children  birth to 3 years of age  who have developmental delays or a condition that might lead to a developmental delay either in language or speech or in any other developmental area:  

Gold Coast Early Steps  

  • Children's Diagnostic & Treatment Center
    1401 South Federal Highway
    Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316-2619
    (754) 321-2204 - Referral Line - Child Find
    (954) 728-1083 - General Information  

North Dade Early Steps  

  • Mailman Center for Child Development
    1601 NW 12th Ave. Room 5013
    University Of Miami - Dept. of Pediatric
    Miami, FL 33136-1005
    (305) 243-6660
    (305) 243-3501 - Fax  

Treasure Coast Early Steps  

  • Child Development Center
    5325 Greenwood Avenue Ste. 201
    West Palm Beach, FL 33407-2452
    (561) 882-6426 - Referral Line
    (800) 879-4083
    (561) 881-2822 - Local  

Florida Diagnostics and Learning Resources System (FDLRS) - Child Find Services  

The following centers in South Florida offer early intervention services for children  3 years of age or older :  

Broward County  

  • https://www.browardschools.com/Page/41040
    Exceptional Student Learning Support Division at Arthur Ashe Campus
    1701 Northwest. 23rd Avenue
    Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Phone: 754-321-3466
    FDLRS Coordinator:  Gwen Lipscomb  

Miami-Dade County  

Palm Beach County  

  • http://www.fdlrsalpha.org
    Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center
    3300 Forest Hill Boulevard
    West Palm Beach, FL. 33406
    Phone: 561-434-8000
    866-930-840  

If you would like to refer your preschool-aged child to FDLRS/ALPHA in Palm Beach County, call one of the referral lines at:  

  • (561) 434-7337 (Boynton Beach north to Jupiter, and Wellington/RPB/Loxahatchee area)  

  • (800) 734-9707 (Delray Beach, Boca Raton and the Glades area)  

The first physical contact parents have with Child Find staff is at a screening appointment in one of their area offices (depending on where the family lives). Please contact a referral line in order to schedule an appointment at a particular center.  

Clinics  

Florida Atlantic University - Boca Raton Campus  

  • College of Education
    Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
    777 Glades Road
    Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991
    (561) 297-2258
    csd@fau.edu  

Nova Southeastern University  

Clinical Affiliates of Florida International University