Our Educational Mission
Founded in 2009, the “EBAM Institute” (which stands for Evidence-based Accent Management TM) offers consumers and clinicians innovative, empirically tested tools, technology, and trainings for effective cross-cultural communication.
Trademarked for Evidence-based accent management, EBAM Institute has relentlessly lead the efforts towards evidence-based, best practices for cross-cultural communication, working with clients and industries directly, as well as training the speech-pathology trainers.
EBAM Institute also serves as a hub to bring clinicians together for the most current information in the area of teaching/managing culturally- and linguistically-diverse communication. It is a resource group that guides and connects consumers seeking accent diagnostic, management, or cultural competence services with the best of know-how and trained clinicians.
Trademarked for Evidence-based accent management, EBAM Institute has relentlessly lead the efforts towards evidence-based, best practices for cross-cultural communication, working with clients and industries directly, as well as training the speech-pathology trainers.
EBAM Institute also serves as a hub to bring clinicians together for the most current information in the area of teaching/managing culturally- and linguistically-diverse communication. It is a resource group that guides and connects consumers seeking accent diagnostic, management, or cultural competence services with the best of know-how and trained clinicians.
The Background and Need
Out of the commitment to develop an evidence-based area of practice in communication across cultural and linguistic differences, and working in partnership with the American Speech and Hearing Association, the EBAM Institute was founded in 2009 by Dr. Amee P. Shah, as part of her scholarship and professional service in helping develop best practices in this neglected area. Given that these services remain elective, there are no mandates or standard guidelines in the field, and no way for clinicians to receive professionally vetted processes and resources. With thousands of communication coaching programs out there, it becomes important to be consistent and clear about what Speech-Language Pathologists can do and how we can do it ethically, effectively, and in culturally responsive ways. This is what lead to the formation of the EBAM Institute.
CAAI: Comprehensive Assessment of Accentedness & Intelligibility (Shah, 2007).
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A gold-standard in assessment, the only available comprehensive, standardized assessment battery to identify and diagnose communication strengths and challenges associated with dialects and accents. Includes a standardized baseline intelligibility screener. Results in a creation of an Individualized Diagnostic Profile with norms and relative degree of difficulty across 22 assessed areas to help individuals understand their issues to strategically focus on for clear and effective communication.
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FAPST: Software (Shah, 2009) Foreign-accent Perception & Sensitivity Training
Two game-based online software platforms to 1) calculate baseline Global Listening IQ for accents (Shah, 2017), and 2) train to listen to 54 varieties of regional and foreign accents as a tool for building inclusiveness skillset. The programs helps people understand anyone with an accent, and furthermore, develop a curiosity for different cultures, increased geographical repertoire, and specific tools to listen to accents rapidly and accurately. As a larger benefit, the program helps the participants develop appreciation for diverse languages and accents, and a deeper sensitivity in being able to hear the nuances of diverse speaking patterns.
Offered for groups of up to 10 people who work with individuals with foreign accents.
Involves:
Listeners develop increased accuracy and preference for listening to accented speech, with a reduction in fears and misconceptions of diverse accents and cultures.
Offered for groups of up to 10 people who work with individuals with foreign accents.
Involves:
- Fun, game-format listening training
- Teaches you to recognize important features of 54 accents & dialects
- Trains and re-tunes your listening of accents, making them easy to understand and easy to adapt to,
- Results in speakers and listeners both feeling understood and empowered!
- A unique, skills-based diversity training:
Listeners develop increased accuracy and preference for listening to accented speech, with a reduction in fears and misconceptions of diverse accents and cultures.
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Programs and Communication Services
For Hospitals: Doctors Without Accent Borders
A comprehensive program developed for managing cross-cultural communication for diversity and inclusion. It includes various components including a Comprehensive Communication Assessment (CAAI), Needs’ Assessment Screening, Baseline Intelligibility Screening, Individual Diagnostic Profiles, Accent & Communication Modification Coaching, Accent Listening Training, and various other topic-based educational lectures and seminars for various healthcare teams and administrators to ensure effective cross-cultural communication that empowers speakers and listeners, and raises organizational inclusiveness culture, bottomline, An 8-16 week long communication coaching program that strategically works on making diverse communication patterns easily understood, while empowering the diverse speakers to leverage their communication and diversity. This program is one-to-one and based on best practices, evidence-based cutting-edge research and clinical experience of Dr. Amee Shah. Program targets key metrics such as intelligibility scores, patient satisfaction & HCAHP scores to ensure effective communication outcomes, while honoring the unique cultural identity and diversity of the coaching participant. Program provides customized training material and resources, as well as offers concierge coaching for critical communication encounters. 
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Objective Accent Screening to hire individuals with accents in an unbiased process, using a standardized tool and measure to identify potential communication barriers early on, thereby providing needed resources for the success of culturally- and linguistically-diverse employees. (See above, “CAAI Screener & Intelligibility Screening Service”).
Accent Management & Communication Coaching Services for individual employees and executives, using a robust diagnostic process to identify key areas that reduce intelligibility and communication impact. An individual Diagnostic Profile with numeric scores will be used to strategically design a customized implementation plan that can help meet the highest communication goals in the shortest time and effort. Accent Listening and Diversity Management workshops and training programs: Using a variety of tools such as the above-mentioned FAPST software, the Global Listening IQ Screener, and the power of videos and documentaries, organizational departments can be trained to develop awareness, sensitivity, and listening skills to engage with culturally- and linguistically-diverse communication and accents. |
Our Team
Dr. Amee Shah, Founding President/CEO: Responsibilities included development and implementation of the strategic plan, trainers’ recruitment and supervision, curriculum design for evidence-based service delivery, continuing education and online course development, community relations, cultural competence training curriculum development, pilot testing of methods and training program through collaborations with three hospitals and two corporations, and formation of industry-specific programs, such as, “Corporations without Accent Borders TM” and “Doctors without Accent Borders” TM
Our Advisory Board: We are very grateful to our advisory board as every single member has dedicated their time, talent, and expertise because they believe in our organization’s vision and values. Our board is made of leading experts from a diverse number of fields who help us design our programs, messaging, and help us reach our audience in effective ways.
Since its inception, our board has been represented by clinicians, speech scientists, two statisticians, business leaders, a Human Resource expert, IT specialists, hospital administrators, C-Suite leaders, corporate executives, coaches, and spiritual leaders. Our board rotates every two years, and we invite new board members as new needs arise in our programming and curricular offerings.
Registered Clinicians and clinics trained under the CAAI Approach (see examples here): Clinics and practitioners who have adopted the CAAI approach in their clinics with the prerequisite training in best practices in assessment and intervention following an evidence-based framework. These registered users receive ongoing training and current information that are considered to be best practices in accent management. This user group follows our empirically tested, and ASHA-endorsed approach. They are also our partners in providing feedback for continuous quality checks and offering new training.
Our Lab and research team of collaborators (research lab, research scientist peers, co-authors, co-presenters): We are proud of the profession-leading work our research team and collaborators has helped us bring to the profession, clinicians, students, and consumers, clients, and patients. See a list of publications and presentations that have emerged from these partnerships.
Our Advisory Board: We are very grateful to our advisory board as every single member has dedicated their time, talent, and expertise because they believe in our organization’s vision and values. Our board is made of leading experts from a diverse number of fields who help us design our programs, messaging, and help us reach our audience in effective ways.
Since its inception, our board has been represented by clinicians, speech scientists, two statisticians, business leaders, a Human Resource expert, IT specialists, hospital administrators, C-Suite leaders, corporate executives, coaches, and spiritual leaders. Our board rotates every two years, and we invite new board members as new needs arise in our programming and curricular offerings.
Registered Clinicians and clinics trained under the CAAI Approach (see examples here): Clinics and practitioners who have adopted the CAAI approach in their clinics with the prerequisite training in best practices in assessment and intervention following an evidence-based framework. These registered users receive ongoing training and current information that are considered to be best practices in accent management. This user group follows our empirically tested, and ASHA-endorsed approach. They are also our partners in providing feedback for continuous quality checks and offering new training.
Our Lab and research team of collaborators (research lab, research scientist peers, co-authors, co-presenters): We are proud of the profession-leading work our research team and collaborators has helped us bring to the profession, clinicians, students, and consumers, clients, and patients. See a list of publications and presentations that have emerged from these partnerships.