Individual / personal barriers
Who is implicated? Individual / Parent
Barriers directly associated with the individual. Among other things, these may stem from his/her perceptions, personal abilities, etc.
Examples
Possible impacts
Perceptions
Example: The fear of being judged by others.
- Reluctant to make use of available services, for example daycare services or community organizations
- Distrustful attitude towards representatives of institutions
- Social isolation or a poor social network, which may have harmful effects on parents’ mental health and children’s development
Examples
Possible impacts
The individual’s personal abilities
Example: Poor reading skills (literacy).
Example: Difficulties understanding administrative procedures.
Example: Limited French language skills in a primarily francophone environment.
- Difficulties managing many aspects of daily life that call for reading skills, which can often be very stressful
- Loss of access to certain benefits or available programs because of difficulties completing the administrative procedures
- Complications registering their child for kindergarten if the parent does not have certain documents on hand at the time of registration, which can entail additional stress
- Individuals with an immigrant background, as well as First Nations and Inuit face considerable difficulties obtaining necessary public services on account of the language barrier
- Some individuals refuse to make the necessary arrangements to obtain the healthcare services their own or their children’s situation requires
- Personal life circumstances can worsen when there are mutual misunderstandings between families and organizations
- A breach of confidentiality occurs when it becomes necessary that an interpreter from the family’s ranks communicates on behalf of the family
“Another communication issue concerns the need for a common and clear language in order to talk about children’s development and how to respond to their needs. Parents report an elevated risk of not understanding the written messages they receive, especially when they include institutional or professional jargon. This issue also crops up in the conversations between parents and intervention workers: ‘I didn’t understand a thing he just told me.”
Excerpt from the review report on the
Perspectives croisées et dialogue parents-intervenants
workshops conducted by CEIDEF, p. 14
Nibisha Sioui, Wendat and member of the Anicinape Nation, clinical and community psychologist, discusses language barriers. (In French only)