Expert Consensus on the Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in Working With Deaf Children Who Use American Sign Language in the United States: A Classical e-Delphi Study.
IF 2.3 3区 医学Q1 AUDIOLOGY & SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY
Kristen Secora, Brittany Lee, David Smith, Marie Coppola
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: Although approximately 40% of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regularly serve Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students, at present, there are no agreed-upon standards specifying the minimum qualifications and best practices for working with this population, especially those who use signed language. The goal of the present study is to establish expert consensus on recommended clinical training and practice for SLPs working with signing DHH children.
Method: Experts in fields related to speech-language pathology and deaf education (N = 30, 16 DHH) participated in three rounds of a classical e-Delphi study. In Round 1, experts responded to open-ended questions about the role of SLPs working with DHH children who sign. In Rounds 2 and 3, experts rated their agreement with statements generated by fellow experts in Round 1.
Results: A mixed-method design included qualitative content analysis (Round 1) and quantitative descriptive statistics (Rounds 2 and 3). Experts rated a total of 185 items in Round 2 and 186 items in Round 3. Consensus (at least 70% agreement) was met for 158 statements, with recommendations for SLPs' knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Consensus was not achieved for 28 items, including the level of American Sign Language proficiency required for SLPs.
Conclusions: This study is the first to elicit input from a panel of experts seeking to establish professional standards for SLPs who work with signing DHH children. These findings contribute to the movement toward more inclusive and culturally responsive clinical practice and can inform educational standards and policy for SLPs. Future research is needed to determine whether practicing SLPs meet these recommended standards and how clinical training can support growth for standards that are not currently being met.
期刊介绍：
Mission: AJSLP publishes peer-reviewed research and other scholarly articles on all aspects of clinical practice in speech-language pathology. The journal is an international outlet for clinical research pertaining to screening, detection, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of communication and swallowing disorders across the lifespan as well as the etiologies and characteristics of these disorders. Because of its clinical orientation, the journal disseminates research findings applicable to diverse aspects of clinical practice in speech-language pathology. AJSLP seeks to advance evidence-based practice by disseminating the results of new studies as well as providing a forum for critical reviews and meta-analyses of previously published work.
Scope: The broad field of speech-language pathology, including aphasia; apraxia of speech and childhood apraxia of speech; aural rehabilitation; augmentative and alternative communication; cognitive impairment; craniofacial disorders; dysarthria; fluency disorders; language disorders in children; speech sound disorders; swallowing, dysphagia, and feeding disorders; and voice disorders.
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