“Ahora tenemos todo lo que necesitamos (Now we have everything we need),” said Marisonia in Spanish as she laughed and glanced over at her interpreter.

Marisonia, who has been living in Durham for six years, is the mother of Anahí who suffers from physical and mental disabilities which have significantly caused developmental delays in the 4-year old girl.

Upon realizing that her daughter was developmentally disabled, Marisonia sought help from local health services in the community. However due to her inability to speak English and the lack of Spanish-English translators in the community, Marisonia was presented with a tremendous language barrier that prevented her from accessing the care and services she needed for her daughter such as consultations with doctors and occupational therapists. 

“I was feeling very frustrated and worried,” said Marisonia as she explained her situation in Spanish.

She did not know what she was going to do, but she knew she needed to seek help fast in order to get proper care for Anahí. She was eventually referred to the Child Service Coordination program (CSC) of Durham County Health Department, who then contacted Hispanic/Latino Consultation Services at the Durham Council for Children with Special Needs, a service funded through Durham’s Partnership for Children.

The Hispanic/Latino Consultation Services program provides interpretation and translation services to Spanish-speaking families of children with special needs.

“Our program is vital to the families and their services providers.  We are the link that bridges the gap created by different languages. Through interpretation, families are able to truly connect with their service provider and feel a sense of partnership in their child’s development rather than a spectator. We are appreciative of the financial support Durham’s Partnership for Children has given the Council over the last ten years.”

Program interpreter, Laura Price, began working with the family right away by accompanying Marisonia and her daughter to various places and translating information she received from doctors and therapists. With Laura’s assistance, Marisonia was able to successfully explain her needs to get the health services and specialized therapies that were needed to improve the quality of life for her daughter. Anahí received therapy for vision, language, and nutrition and was provided with a walker and special toys which aided in improving her overall well-being.

“They helped me a lot. Now life is better. They took good care of us,” Marisonia explained as she smiled and leaned back on her sofa. “Without the help of the interpreters, I wouldn’t have anything.”

Marisonia recommends the Hispanic/Latino Consultation Services to other families in the Latino community who struggle to communicate due to the language barrier. She says she will continue to use the interpretation services.