Individuals with Disabilities and Autism
The American Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. ADA is a law that protects people with disabilities in many areas of public life. Philadelphia Language Services is proud to work with organizations who assist individuals with disabilities. In working with these organizations we are not only participating in advocacy efforts for individuals with disabilities but those who have a second challenge, that of limited English proficiency.
According to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network about 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
In 2016 PLS began working with Center for Autism, the oldest autism treatment center in the country. At the Center for Autism “each person's treatment plan is unique and is designed to reduce the symptoms of autism. Treatment focuses on communication, interaction, change and transitions, behaviors and responses, social competencies and sensory processing.” We proudly assist limited English proficient parents and children with Autism by providing Center for Autism with in-person, video remote and telpehonic interpretation in over 20 languages and American Sign Language (ASL) in comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluations, admissions meetings, treatment plan reviews, family sessions, intakes, home visits, ISPT (Interagency Service Planning Team) meetings, PECS trainings.
In addition to treatment, education and advocacy for individuals with autism is extremely important. A.J. Drexel Autism Institute hosts Philadelphia’s Autism Project’s Life on the Spectrum series which workshop topics include “advocacy, postsecondary education, relationships, and intersectional identities, with content developed by autistic individuals”. Since spring of 2022 Philadelphia Language Services has been providing video remote simultaneous interpretation for these workshops in Spanish and Mandarin.
In 2022 Philadelphia Language Services began assisting Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care (PCHC) in their mission to “enhance access to community physical and mental health care through education, public health outreach, advocacy and empowerment as well as to improve health care outcomes for individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ID) and/or Autism”, providing them Spanish interpretation.
HUNE, an an organization that “works to improve educational outcomes for children and youth with all disabilities from 0-26 years of age” held a hybrid conference in January 2023 which highlighted Jim Knight, author of Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other to Be More Credible, Caring, and Connected. Philadelphia Language Services communicated Jim Knight’s strategies to the Spanish speaking individuals through in-person simultaneous Spanish interpretation.
Since 2017 PLS has provided the Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU) foreign language in-person and remote interpretation for children’s IEP meetings and evaluations. Interpretation bridges the gap between therapists and families in order that there is an understanding of a child’s physical, speech and/or intellectual needs, and diagnoses. Families feel empowered to advocate for their children with the help of PLS’s interpreters.