Peer-Reviewed Resources
Serving Diverse Clients:
This peer-reviewed article discusses the need for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to build self-efficacy when working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) clients. While many SLPs feel underprepared to work with diverse populations, the article makes a point that proper training helps SLPs feel more competent and confident when working with CLD clients. Even though training allows SLPs to feel more competent, there are still challenges to overcome, such as a shortage of bilingual providers and limited assessment tools. By adding more training opportunities for SLPs in the Tampa Bay area, we can resolve part of this issue and help SLPs feel more confident when providing culturally sensitive services (Santhanam & Parveen, 2018).
Health of Hispanic/Latino Populations:
This peer-reviewed article provides an overview of the health challenges and inequities faced by the nation's largest minority group. It discusses the history of Latino health advocacy, the "Hispanic paradox," and how factors such as immigration, discrimination, workforce underrepresentation, and data inequities shape outcomes. By advocating and spreading awareness about the disparities the Hispanic community faces in Tampa Bay and within the health care system, SLPs can help mend this gap by providing equitable services and strategies to address the growing diversity in Hispanic/Latino communities, ensuring that all clients receive equal care (Borrell & Lebron, 2024).
Training and Barriers of SLPs Serving Bilingual Children:
This peer-reviewed article discusses how SLPs who receive proper training feel better prepared when working with bilingual children. During the study, the researchers found that bilingual SLPs feel more confident and competent compared to monolingual SLPs, but both groups face disadvantages, such as limited training and lack of resources. With these challenges, many SLPs have a hard time communicating properly with their client's due to language barriers, which negatively impacts the quality of services clients receive. It's important for SLPs to understand that they are doing harm by not proving adequate care. This article brings lights to the issue by emphasizing the need to improve bilingual training and provide more resources to support equitable care for multilingual populations in Tampa Bay (McKenna et al., 2025).
Language Barriers and Latino Health Care Quality:
This peer-reviewed article conducted a study that consisted of performing a systematic review of articles published between 1990 and 2000, ensuring to examine how language barriers affect access, quality, and outcomes of healthcare for Latino populations in the U.S. The results of this study found that language barriers significantly reduce the quality of care and puts the health of non-English-speaking patients at risk. To ensure that the Hispanic community in Tampa Bay is not neglected, the SLP community needs to adapt by expanding their care, prioritizing the need for interpreters and more bilingual staff within the community to bridge language gaps and improve equitable access and care for Latino patients (Timmins, 2002).
Strategies for Serving Migrant and Multilingual Children:
This peer-reviewed article discusses the increased number of migrant children who are being referred to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and emphasizes the need for SLPs to be able to distinguish the difference between language differences and disorders in children learning English as a new language. As a result, the article addresses limitations SLPs may face, effective strategies that can be implemented, and additional resources. Based on the findings, the SLPs need to improve their cultural competence to deliver equitable and effective services to multilingual children. It is a necessity for SLPs to be able to determine is a client has a disorder or if they are just experiencing a language difference. If an SLP misdiagnosis a client, it puts the patient at risk for being developmentally behind if it's neglected, or put a financial burden on them if it is deemed unnecessary therapy is needed (McNeilly, 2019).