Knowledge and Perceptions of SLP Graduate Students Regarding Multiculturalism

Populations in the United States rise daily, as do the number of people who are considered multicultural. With this comes a greater need for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who are able to assess and treat such individuals -- a training process that begins in graduate programs. The primary objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and perceptions of graduate students in speech-language pathology as it pertains to multiculturalism. A survey was conducted to explore graduate students' knowledge and perceptions of multicultural topics. Participants were recruited from programs in the southeastern United States via email. Just under 400 surveys were returned with 322 complete responses received. Most graduate programs are covering multicultural and multilingual topics across courses to prepare students to work with such populations in future careers. Students recognize the importance of these topics because the opportunities to work with multicultural and multilingual clients are becoming more frequent. A firm foundation can set the tone for an SLP's career; without adequate training in the area of multiculturalism, many individuals may receive inadequate services whether the speech-language pathologist recognizes the gaps in care or not.