The Sociolinguistically Trained Speech-Language Pathologist: Using Knowledge of African American English to Aid and Empower African American Clientele.

Purpose: This article furthers the conversation about how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can incorporate an understanding of language variation as they provide services to multicultural populations--particularly African Americans, a population that disproportionately receives speech-language pathology services yet is underrepresented within the speechlanguage pathology community. We call for moving beyond discussions of linguistic difference versus deficit that tend to largely focus on strategies to avoid penalizing dialect speakers and moving toward investigations of other cultural, social, and linguistic considerations that hold immediate and practical importance. In addition, we share insights and recommendations from 2 SLPs with training in sociolinguistics who draw upon an understanding of language variation, particularly African American English (AAE), in their work. Conclusions: There are a number of methods that SLPs can use in their practices that incorporate knowledge about AAE to empower African American clientele. To further benefit this population, there must be an increase in the percentage of SLPs who speak and use AAE and the percentage who apply sociolinguistic understandings of language variation to assessment and intervention. More research is needed that explores SLPs' experiences working with clientele who speak AAE and other varieties-notably, how they perceive and understand AAE and how this impacts their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]