Positionality by Celia Dudley

Positionality

cadudley1 — 2025-02-12 16:43:29 UTC

As a speech-language pathologist, I acknowledge that my cultural background, education, and lived experiences shape my approach to assessment and intervention. Positionality in the field of communication sciences in disorders means to me recognizing privilege, biases, and the ways in which I engage with diverse communities.

Women in Speech-Language Pathology

cadudley1 — 2025-02-12 17:11:38 UTC

As a woman in the field of CSD, I recognize that gender shapes not only my professional experiences but also my interactions with clients, colleagues, and the broader healthcare and education systems.

Questions to reflect on:

How does my identity as a woman influence my approach to client relationships and communication?
How can I use my role to advocate for greater gender representation in leadership and research?
How can I support gender-diverse clients while acknowledging my own experiences as a woman in the field?

Neurodiversity

cadudley1 — 2025-02-12 17:24:46 UTC

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has proven to be a huge part of my identity and allows me to embrace the neurodiversity paradigm and value diverse ways of thinking, learning, and communicating. I believe my experiences as a neurodivergent individual help me to connect with neurodivergent clients in a way that offers affirmation and support.

According to the Communication Community, neurodiversity-affirming principles may include:

Developing treatment goals that are functional and individualized
Documenting based on strengths and respectful of differences
Understanding the needs of the client and family when creating a treatment plan
Providing therapy that is flexible and responsive to the client's needs and interests
Exploring communication modalities that are preferred and tailored to the client (not pushing solely for speaking/oral communication)

I want to continuously challenge myself to integrate neurodiversity-affirming practices into my clinical practice.

Racial Identity

cadudley1 — 2025-02-13 00:00:01 UTC

As a white SLP, I recognize that I share a racial identity with the vast majority of professionals within the field of speech language pathology. This lack of diversity among clinicians means that many of us work with clients and families whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds differ from our own.

It is crucial to me to strive for cultural humility and engage in continuous learning, self-reflection, and recognize that I am not an expert on others' lived experiences. I must acknowledge that my racial identity may afford me unearned advantages in professional settings and that clients from marginalized backgrounds may not see themselves represented in the field and among those providing their speech and language services, and it is my responsibility to build trust through active listening, respect, and validation of their cultural and linguistic identities.

Religious Background

cadudley1 — 2025-02-13 00:50:34 UTC

As a Christian, I believe my faith influences my approach to service, compassion, and ethical decision-making. It provides a foundation for integrity, empathy, and a commitment to uplifting others. I also recognize the importance of ensuring that my clinical practice remains inclusive and affirming for clients of all religious and non-religious backgrounds.

The Medical SLP Collective Article highlights that a patient’s religious background may affect results on standardized assessments, as stimuli may not represent concepts the patient is familiar with. The authors provide an example of a child who grew up in a Jewish household and maintained a kosher diet may not be familiar with pork products such as when presented with a picture of “bacon” to label.

My Takeaways:

Assessment scores must be interpreted in context, a lower score does not always indicate a deficit.
Be aware of cultural and religious differences that may impact test performance.
Use a variety of assessment tools to improve accuracy.
Commit to ongoing learning to better serve clients from diverse backgrounds.

Inclusivity

cadudley1 — 2025-02-13 01:04:16 UTC

As an ally for the LGBTQ+ community, I recognize the importance of creating an affirming, inclusive, and culturally responsive environment for clients of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Many LGBTQ+ individuals face barriers in healthcare and education, making it essential for SLPs to provide support that is both clinically effective and identity-affirming.

ASHA notes some environmental modifications that are welcoming to gender-diverse populations and that also model inclusivity:

updating forms to reflect gender-diverse populations
using culturally sensitive materials in service delivery
respecting and using correct pronouns
providing access to gender-neutral bathrooms

As an ally, I recognize that creating an inclusive space goes beyond therapy techniques- it includes the physical and administrative environment as well.

Questions to reflect on:

How can I challenge gender and communication stereotypes in my field?
What language, materials, or policies in my practice need to be updated to reflect gender inclusivity?
How can I advocate for gender-diverse clients within my workplace or community?