Speech Language Pathology and Family Intervention Notes

Personal Values and Cultural Sensitivity

  • The personal values survey sparked reflection on cultural differences in family caregiving.
  • In some cultures, children caring for elderly parents is expected, contrasting with American norms.
  • Family situations can be affected by sin, leading to abuse or neglect.
  • The question about foster care and adoption by homosexual parents raised challenges related to personal beliefs and societal views.
  • Christian values often emphasize the nuclear family structure (father and mother) as ideal for child development, with each parent playing unique roles.
  • The argument that any good home should be an option for a child is acknowledged, but spiritual and parental roles are also crucial.
  • The importance of both parents is highlighted through an example of nieces lacking consistent discipline due to the father's upbringing.
  • Dads tend to be a firm backbone with Mom's being the comforters.
  • The Bible supports the necessity of a man and a woman as parents.
  • While homosexuals can provide a home, it might not be the best solution for the child.
  • Considering the child's environment is important, as a bad environment may lead to different conclusions.

Clinical Skills and Dispositions

  • Clinicians require both clinical skills and a positive clinical disposition.
  • Attitude test sheets assess SLPs' responses to situations in therapy.
  • Students' beliefs and attitudes can vary widely, like one student believing the Bible was written by one person.
  • In public schools, open discussion of faith is limited to when asked, but opportunities can arise.

Family-Based Intervention

  • Family-based intervention emphasizes the role of family beliefs, values, and preferences throughout therapy.
  • ASHA mandates family-based intervention for early intervention services, promoting its use across the lifespan.
  • Research demonstrates that family-based intervention improves patient outcomes for various disorders.
  • Hyper-involved is a double edged sword because sometimes their involvement can be overwhelming, but is appreciated.
  • Parents with other priorities may not be as involved, affecting progress.
  • Getting parents to attend meetings or implement recommendations can be challenging.
  • Involving parents and caregivers is crucial for faster outcomes. It is crucial as part of general best practice.

Seven Characteristics of Family-Based Intervention

  1. Services Aligned with Family's Unique Situation

    • Utilize family strengths.
    • Addressing unique challenges.
    • Align services with crisis circumstances.

  2. Services are Culturally and Linguistically Responsive

    • Providing services in appropriate language, using interpreters when needed.
    • Understanding cultural norms that may influence the family.
    • Practicing cultural humility.
    • Monolingual English speakers may face learning curves when working with diverse cultural backgrounds, such as Chinese or Hindu families.
    • Asking about winter break plans can be a learning experience, as not all cultures celebrate Christmas.
    • Interpreters are necessary for articulation therapy with students who speak Spanish or Mandarin.

  3. Services are Developmentally and Socially Supportive

    • Provide support for vocab in the classroom and social language.

  4. Services are Comprehensive, Coordinated, and Team-Based

    • Collaboration is essential in schools with teachers, OTs, PTs, sped teachers, counselors and psychologists.
    • Hospitals will require collaboration with the physician.
    • Private clinics are the most cross-functional with OTs, PTs and UVAs.
    • Coordination considers best use of time and ability of the client, and family scheduling.

  5. Family Determines Their Involvement

    • A family centered approach creates opportunities for the family to be involved in all aspects of intervention with individual families selecting their desired levels and types of involvement.
    • Create opportunity for involve the family even if you disagree with them.

  6. Family Values are Honored

    • Need to know what we value and how that might influence our perception of the client.
    • Even if the family values cannot be implemented, like those that are Jehovah's witness, they must be monitored.

  7. Services are Based on the Highest Quality Evidence Available

    • Evidence-based practice is the foundation of everything we do.
    • Clinical expertise is used in practice.
    • Use your evidence from assessment or therapy to provide your service.
    • Use client perspective. So their perspective is arguably the most important component of our evidence. If they aren't engaging, then it's time to move on.