Culturally Responsive Practices in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Culturally Responsive Practices in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences is the only textbook that provides an innovative perspective on cultural competence in the field of communication sciences and disorders. It is imperative for speech-language pathologists and audiologists to be aware of diverse aspects of globalization, how these aspects may affect their own knowledge, strengths and biases, service provision, their clients lives, as well as their clients relationships to service providers. The purpose of this text is to facilitate the creation of knowledge, and the development of attitudes and skills that lead to culturally responsive practices.

The text presents a conceptual framework to guide speech-language pathologists and audiologists towards cultural competence by becoming critically engaged users of culturally responsive and globally engaged practices. The text is focused on speech-language pathology and audiology, but also draws from theoretical frameworks in other disciplines for an inter-professional, transdisciplinary and macro practice perspective, and would be appropriate for other allied health professions. This information will help students and professionals build their own conceptual framework for providing culturally and linguistically responsive services, and to engage with others globally.

Key Features:

• Case studies to facilitate students and professionals knowledge and skills regarding culturally and linguistically responsive practices
• Journal prompts and discussion questions that challenge individuals to use critical and dialectical thinking
• Real-life activities that can be completed inside or outside the classroom or therapeutic setting
• Suggested readings from the current literature in cultural and linguistic responsiveness, cultural competence, and global engagement in order to build knowledge and skills, and to affect student attitudes

A PluralPlus companion website with supplementary resources for students and instructors. For students the website includes study guides for each chapter, flashcards for concepts used throughout the text, and suggestions for additional readings. For instructors the website includes PowerPoint lecture slides outlining chapters and learning activities to use with students, designed to support class preparation and teaching the content in the text. Such learning activities include:

• Case studies including decision making and planning for culturally responsive assessment and intervention processes
• Journal prompts designed to strengthen critical and dialectical thinking
• Identifying challenges and proposing solutions to providing culturally responsive speech-language pathology and audiology services
• Exercises to facilitate clinical observations, ethnographic interviewing skills, and working with an interpreter

This textbook is intended for courses on cultural competence in speech-language pathology and audiology programs. It is also appropriate for general multicultural courses in speech-language pathology and audiology, and such courses in allied health programs. Students in speech-language pathology and audiology programs are required to gain knowledge and skill competencies pertaining to culture, cultural competence, cultural bases of normal and impaired communication development, cultural correlates of various developmental and disordered categories, and cultural/linguistic backgrounds and influences of clients and their families. This textbook may also be used as supplemental material in language acquisition courses in communication sciences and disorders programs, and in special education courses that teach special education teachers about working with children who have communication disorders.