A Preliminary Investigation of Social Justice Perceptions Among U.S. Speech-Language Pathologists: Clinical Implications

Socioecological Determinants of Speech Evaluation and Treatment Among Children Who Stutter

PURPOSE

While there is no cure for stuttering, therapy can help children who stutter (CWS) reduce the adverse effects imposed by stuttering. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees "special education and related services" at no cost to all children with disabilities. However, a potential interplay of variables may influence service provision for CWS. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify some of the determinants of receiving (a) an evaluation and (b) speech-language therapy (SLT) among a nationally representative sample of CWS.

METHOD

This analysis utilized five waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11-a nationally representative sample of children in the United States attending both full-day and part-day kindergarten in 2010-2011, who were followed through the fifth grade. Over 800 parents reported that their child had a problem with stuttering at least once in the panel. Using a socioecological framework, this study sought to identify the individual-, interpersonal-, and community-level determinants of receiving (a) a communication evaluation and (b) SLT among CWS.

RESULTS

Determinants at all three levels were significantly associated with both the likelihood of evaluation and receipt of SLT.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the passage of IDEA over 20 years ago, many CWS are not receiving necessary evaluation and therapy services in school. These shortfalls result from determinants at multiple levels making mitigation more challenging. Identification is the first step in resolving such problems, and it is hoped that this project contributes to this discourse.

Pedagogical Approaches to Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Communication Sciences and Disorders Programs: A Nationwide Survey

PURPOSE

This study investigates how instructors in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) programs teach about cultural and linguistic diversity (CLD) in general-content courses as well as those dedicated to CLD content with the goal of identifying ways of improving training of preservice clinicians to provide culturally responsive service delivery.

METHOD

A survey was sent to 4,192 instructors in CSD programs at 295 institutions in the United States and Puerto Rico, of which 565 responded. The survey contained choice response questions and open-ended questions.

RESULTS

Curricular infusion as the sole strategy of CLD training has decreased since a similar survey was published by Stockman et al. (2008), while the number of programs that offer courses dedicated to CLD or use both strategies has increased. Dedicated CLD courses offer broader training in CLD issues and are considered more effective at preparing students to work with CLD populations. A number of challenges were identified, such as a lack of available resources or time to cover CLD issues.

CONCLUSIONS

A combination of curricular infusion and dedicated CLD coursework is recommended to ensure sufficient training in CLD issues. The development of additional resources is needed to better support instructors in both general-content and CLD-dedicated courses. Finally, CLD training should engage students in challenging unjust systems and harmful ideologies and not just celebrate multiculturalism in order to provide culturally responsive service to all clients.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25587651.

Eligibility Determinations for Speech and Language Services in U.S. Public Schools: Experiences and Tensions

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to examine school speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) experiences regarding students' eligibility for services in public schools within the United States.

METHOD

Fifteen school SLPs participated in online focus groups to examine the complex nature of SLPs' participation within decision-making teams and describe practice experiences in U.S. schools. SLPs worked in one to 10+ schools serving students from pre-K through 12th grade. Data were analyzed using Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT; Engeström, 2015).

RESULTS

School SLPs' practice is impacted by rules, community, and division of labor in schools. Participants discussed the following: culture of the work setting, interaction between team members, desire to assist families and children, knowledge of regulations, evaluation practices, and the impact of poverty, and cultural and linguistic differences. Nine major tensions were identified: need for greater SLP empowerment and advocacy, documentation of educational impact, complexities of students learning English as an additional language, concerns about evaluation data for decision making, SLPs' concerns regarding outcomes of eligibility decision making, overuse of speech-language impairment for students who do not qualify, parents' involvement in decision making, disagreement between team members, and administrations' adherence to rules.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the schools, the CHAT framework was useful to identify tensions and opportunities for change at the individual and institutional levels, impacting team decision making for eligibility, SLPs' provision of services, and student outcomes. Acknowledgment of tensions and opportunities for change regarding students' eligibility for services may guide public policy; preservice training; and individual, local, and national advocacy.

Global citizenship and social justice among speech-language pathologists: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

This scoping review outlines the literature findings that relate to global citizenship and the interconnection between social justice among health professionals, specifically speech-language pathologists. The review aims to provide a synthesis of the relevant literature and thorough thematic identification of common themes.

METHOD

Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework was used for the searching of critical databases, specifically CINAHL, Medline, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. Following the appraisal and synthesis process of the relevant literature, key themes were identified with particular reference to social justice among health professionals (especially speech-language pathologists).

RESULTS

Four (4) key themes were identified, namely, (i) education and ongoing developmental support, (ii) ethical and moral obligations, (ii) cultural competency, and (iv) community engagement for intergroup empathy and helping.

CONCLUSION

This review defines the parameters of a speech-language pathologists' practice as a global citizen interconnected with social justice and the accountabilities to enable impactful changes creating culturally sustaining practice.

Introduction to the Forum: Increasing Diversity in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Workforce, Part 1

Purpose This introduction provides background information about this forum of the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and a preview of articles published in this first installment of the forum.