The Role of Culture in Treating Patients with Speech and Language Pathology

As a Speech Pathology major you must consider how you can treat a client depending on their culture. One must demonstrate respect for their client’s cultural background preferences and cultural practices into assessment and treatment, including recognizing the influence of culture. You must look at the dos and don’ts. For instance, if they have the support of their family in helping them continue their recovery or benefits at home. By identifying including religious practices and beliefs, spiritual beliefs, educational values, age and gender roles, child-rearing practices, and fears and perceptions. By knowing that the client has a support system we know that they can succeed and improve. Understanding how others in the family view the client’s communication gives insight into expectations and the possibility for deficits.

There are videos that show how SLP’s can help children from different cultures many of these SLP’s are bilingual. Meaning they can communicate with their clients and help them. They are able to find ways that can help them. We try to make them feel more comfortable in the new environment we try to help them ease the anxiety they may have. Making them comfortable eases the session and begin little by little. By starting the client will begin to understand the benefits that the session will give them. Then the next session they will already understand what to expect. What exactly it is that will benefit them in speaking more fluently. Religion plays a key factor in determining whether those with language and speech disorders seek treatment or not and the extent of the treatment. There are cultures were the father has to present in sessions, but the mother is the one discussing the progression the father is just showing he is the main authority figure in the family. Looking at all the aspects we can figure out a more specific way to help we have to look at the client’s dialect to see how their pronunciation is presented. Looking at all the aspects we can figure out a more specific way to help we have to look at the client’s dialect to see how their pronunciation is presented.

ASHA helps SLP’s understand the guidelines of helping clients that are from different cultures. These guidelines help one understand the ways they can deal with the client and their families. ASHA gives a list of aspects to take a look at in order to figure which is the best way to treat the client. These factors help us when assessing the client to figure out what the main issue is and what treatment helps them.