Knowledge, practices and aspirations of speech-language pathologists’ provision of culturally responsive practice for Pacific Islander families

The Pacific Islands is a culturally and linguistically diverse region. While speech-language pathology is an emerging profession within many Pacific Islands, families with Pacific Islander heritage have emigrated across the world to countries in which support for communication difficulties is more established. Those children will likely see a speech-language pathologist (SLP) from a different cultural or linguistic background. Provision of culturally responsive services is essential for ethical, respectful, and appropriate communication support for these children. The current knowledge, beliefs, and practices of SLPs who provide services to these children is unknown, and so the provision of equitable, culturally safe and responsive services for these children is at risk.
This study aimed to identify SLPs’ current practices and aspirations for best practice when working with Pacific Islander children with communication difficulties, and to identify practical strategies for improving culturally responsive practice with these children.
A mixed-methods survey gained insights from 57 SLPs and allied health assistants, the majority of whom practiced in Australia, Aotearoa, and the United States. Overall, most respondents advised that while they were aware of the diversity of Pacific Islander languages and cultures, they would not describe themselves as knowledgeable about the same. Twenty-two respondents had provided services to children with Pacific Islander heritage, the majority being of Maori, Tongan, or Samoan heritage. The children were most often assessed in English only. SLPs also identified a range of resources that could support culturally responsive practice for Pacific Islander families, including culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment and intervention resources, information on Pacific Islander family dynamics, communication and language socialisation practices, and knowledge of children’s communication development.
While some resources are available to support culturally responsive services for Pacific Islander children, numerous gaps were identified in the available resources to support culturally safe and responsive services for this population.