Episode Details

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In this episode, I sit down with Ashby Martin to explore the intersection of clinical neuropsychology, neurolinguistics, and language barriers. We examine Ashby’s extensive research analyzing 50 years of patient data, comparing outcomes between interpreter-mediated assessments and clinician-led evaluations in the patient’s native language. We discuss the statistical reality of performance drops during interpreted testing, the historical evolution of interpreter certification, and practical strategies clinicians can use to improve diagnostic accuracy when working across linguistic lines.

• 01:13: Definition of limited English proficiency and its prevalence in the US
• 04:09: Overview of neurolinguistics and its application to neuropsychological testing
• 10:21: Study methodology: matching limited English proficiency patients across 50 years of clinic files
• 13:29: Major findings: performance drops and score variability in interpreter-mediated testing
• 15:23: Historical timeline of speech interpreter certifications and legislative standards
• 32:14: Findings on clinician-led evaluations in Spanish removing diagnostic discrepancies
• 38:17: The “shadow interpreter” model and practical tips for bilingual clinicians
• 47:44: Sub-analysis findings: cognitive domains, degree of test verbalness, and litigation status

Cool Things Mentioned

• Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists
• Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists
• Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
• Benton Neuropsychological Clinic at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics: www.uihc.org/benton-neuropsychology-clinic
• National Council on Interpreting in Health Care: www.ncihc.org
• Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters: www.cchicertification.org

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