by Katandria Love Johnson
Traveling abroad can offer many opportunities. As a speech-language pathologist, foreign travel can develop or sharpen your linguistic and cultural competencies through language immersion or volunteer work. I chose this path while conducting a self-directed Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association (TSHA) independent study.
From May through August in 2004, I traveled, studied abroad, conducted research, and completed volunteer work, spending one to two weeks in 12 countries including Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
I interviewed and observed 21 service professionals and seven families in Western Europe, Canada, and Central and South America in a variety of disciplines: speech-language pathology, otolaryngology, occupational therapy, education (language professor), psychology, and psychometry. Each professional responded to an interview or answered a 10-parameter questionnaire examining sociocultural, economic, and environmental factors that influenced his or her views of disability as well as the client's.
Afterward I submitted the log to the TSHA independent study coordinator to approve the number of direct contact hours for a certificate of completion. My research paper, "Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Disability Views Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations," focused on my work in Mexico (see sidebar p. 25).
Study Goals and Observations
The TSHA study examined the sociolinguistic, economic, and sociocultural influences on views of disability, specifically related to disorders of speech, language, and hearing among culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations. At the conclusion of the work in Mexico, I was invited to continue volunteering at a private clinic in Puebla, where I served as an evaluating and treating SLP, consultant, and workshop presenter (see sidebar on p. 25).
All service professionals I interviewed agreed that environmental, socioeconomic, and sociocultural factors strongly influence attitudes toward disability in their country. European service professionals appeared satisfied with government-provided services. In all other countries, however, professionals sought additional public services and recommended increased budgets for health programs.
All South American countries reported that disability was generally well-accepted, while all Central American families reported emotional difficulties accepting their child's disability. Families interviewed in Europe indicated a lack of support from medical professionals in obtaining referrals to an SLP. The Central American and Canadian families reported appropriate services were provided upon referral or if an SLP was needed; however, waiting lists were problematic for families seeking public services. In addition, all interviewed health care professionals and families concurred on the need for medical service professionals to collaborate with SLPs on early detection of speech and hearing difficulties and appropriate referrals.
International Directions
The current ASHA database of SLPs who practice internationally contains listings from only a few countries. However, contact with these professionals by e-mail can create opportunities to receive mentoring and otherwise communicate regarding speech-language and hearing issues among CLD populations.
Specialized credits or continuing education units (CEUs) may be obtained through your local university and/or national or state organization, depending on your academic or professional status. A database of professional contacts, however, is not readily available and inquiries may be required upon arrival in a foreign country. Planning in this manner is not recommended, but in some countries it may be inevitable.
A working proficiency in the language and culture of the CLD populations we serve is necessary to have an effect on long-term treatment outcomes. More importantly, understanding critical cultural differences will give health care professionals insight on how to meet the needs of different populations. I hope that international opportunities, clinical practica, and continuing education can provide another avenue by which such challenges can be addressed.
Katandria Love Johnson is a trilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese) speech-language pathologist, linguist, clinical and field researcher, and second-year public health graduate student at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Contact her at katjohn@hsuunt.edu.
References
Johnson, K. L. (2004). Cross-cultural perspectives of disability views among culturally and linguistically diverse populations. TSHA Independent Study.
Tomoeda, C., & Bayles, K. (2002). Cultivating cultural competence in the workplace, classroom, and clinic. The ASHA Leader, 7(6), 4-5, 17.