Exploring the experiences of culturally diverse speech-language pathologists

In Australia, practitioners who are culturally and linguistically diverse are underrepresented in the speech-language pathology profession, partly due to systemic racism within healthcare systems. This study aims to explore the experiences of qualified culturally diverse speech-language pathologists practising in Australia.

Researchers applied Flanagan's (1954) Critical Incident Theory and Lave and Wegner's (1991) Legitimate Peripheral Participation theory to analyse interviews gathered from twenty culturally and linguistically diverse speech-language pathologists. Analysis identified 336 critical incidents, which were collated and further analysed thematically.

Analysis identified three themes: Acculturation', 'being othered', and 'connectedness with culturally diverse communities'. Participants described challenges, including discrimination and the cognitive load of adapting to Australian cultural norms, as well as strengths, such as building rapport with culturally diverse clients and delivering culturally responsive care. The findings highlight the unique experiences of culturally diverse clinicians as both individuals who experience systemic barriers to healthcare delivery and as valuable practitioners with the knowledge and skills to shape the speech-language pathology profession.

The findings contribute to discussions regarding diversity in the speech-language pathology workforce, highlighting the need to address identified profession-level barriers to create an inclusive and equitable professional environment that is responsive to culturally diverse practitioners.