Admissions Type and Cultural Competency in Graduate Speech-Language Pathology Curricula: A National Survey Study.

Purpose This research describes the results of survey questions designed to establish how cultural competency is taught in graduate speech-language pathology programs with a view on how to increase cultural competency in practicing professionals. Method One hundred ten department chairs or designees of university programs with graduate speech-language pathology programs participated in this study. Participants were asked questions to better understand how programs included cultural competency content for teaching purposes in program curricula. Respondents were sorted into groups by admission practices (traditional admissions, some holistic measures, or holistic review). We provide a description of responses, including which cultural competency topics are included in curricula, and we compare programs' composite cultural competency by admission type. Results Programs that used some holistic measures or holistic review had had significantly more content that focused on cultural competency than the traditional group, and also used a wider range of pedagogical approaches used to teach this content. Programs that employed some holistic measures or holistic review also covered a wider range of topics, including learning the importance of listening nonjudgmentally to clients' disability/health beliefs and valuing curiosity, empathy, and respect for others. Less than 30% of the traditional admissions programs reported that students were taught about institutional biases or the value of eliminating disparities, and less than 40% reported that students are comfortable talking about culture openly or are able to discuss their own cultural backgrounds or biases. The authors discuss implications and recommendations for enhancing cultural competence in graduate speech-language pathology programs.

Frequency of Gesture Use and Language in Typically Developing Prelinguistic Children.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between frequency of gesture use and language with a consideration for the effect of age and setting on frequency of gesture use in prelinguistic typically developing children. METHOD: Participants included a total of 54 typically developing infants and toddlers between the ages of 9 months and 15 months separated into two age ranges, 9-12 months and 12-15 months. All participants were administered the Mullen's Scale of Early Learning and two gesture samples were obtained: one sample in a structured setting and the other in an unstructured setting. Gesture samples were coded by research assistants blind to the purpose of the research study and total frequency and frequencies for the following gesture types were calculated: behavior regulation, social interaction, and joint attention (Bruner, 1983). RESULTS: Results indicated that both age and setting have a significant effect on frequency of gesture use and frequency of gesture is correlated to receptive and expressive language abilities; however, these relationships are dependent upon the gesture type examined. CONCLUSIONS: These findings further our understanding of the relationship between gesture use and language and support the concept that frequency of gesture is related to language abilities. This is meaningful because gestures are one of the first forms of intentional communication, allowing for early identification of language abilities at a young age.

A comparison of the ASD experience of low-SES hispanic and non-hispanic white parents.

This study compared the experiences of Hispanic families, who were primarily of Mexican heritage, and non-Hispanic White families from the United States both from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds having a child with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Hispanic children are diagnosed with ASD 2 years later than non-Hispanic White children [Baio et al., MMWR Surveillance Summaries 2018:67(SS-6): 1-23]. However, there has been limited investigation in exploring how SES might impact both diagnosis and experience. A survey of basic demographic information and a qualitative survey were used for this study. Basic demographic information obtained included SES, parent educational level, age of diagnosis of the children, religious affiliation, and marital status. Hour-long interviews were conducted to gather information about the personal experiences of these families relating to diagnoses and treatment. Comparative results of basic demographic information showed no difference in age of diagnosis between the two groups when SES was controlled. Although SES was controlled, the non-Hispanic White families had a higher education level and were slightly wealthier. Qualitatively, similarities included family support, doctor response to parent concerns, and acceptance of diagnosis by family members and friends. Differences included religious views, acceptance of diagnosis, knowledge of developmental milestones, and finding resources. Most significantly, the findings indicate no difference in the age of diagnosis of ASD between the Hispanic and non-Hispanic White children, which could be attributed to increased awareness and having access to a proactive parent organization. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1880-1890. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: This study showed that Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White children from poor backgrounds got a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the same age. Results show differences in religious views, acceptance of diagnosis, knowledge of milestones, and finding resources. This might be because people are more aware of ASD today and Hispanic families were involved with an active parent organization.

Cultural variations in attention regulation: a comparative analysis of British and Chinese-immigrant populations.

Recent intervention for young children has included parent training. The premise for this training is based in research on parent-child interaction. However, these studies have focused on white, middle-class families. More recent research suggests that not all cultures follow the same pattern. This study explored the relationship between attention regulation, pragmatic input, object manipulation and later language competence in Chinese-immigrant and British caregiver-infant dyads. Microanalytical techniques were used to explore observational data derived from a longitudinal study of 10 caregivers and their infants at 9 and 12 months of age. Relations among selected mother and infant activities, notably caregiver control of and responsiveness to attentional focus in infants and object/infant manipulation, were evaluated. Two styles of attention regulation were found across groups. British caretakers responded to their infant's behaviours by following their lead, whereas Chinese caretakers directed their infant's attention. These styles were supported by non-verbal behaviours such as object manipulation on the part of the caretaker. No differences between the two groups in expressive vocabulary size at age 18 months were found, suggesting that attention regulation styles of directing a child's attention or following a child's lead need further investigation to determine the relationship with vocabulary acquisition. Results show that parents begin to use a particular style of interaction with their children at a very young age. Further research is required to determine if this style continues through the language-learning years. Furthermore, this study suggests that speech and language therapists must be aware that the communication style of ethnic minorities on their caseloads maybe different from mainstream culture; and with this knowledge service providers will be able to serve those communities better and avoid potential cultural bias.