intersectional cultural responsiveness For Speech/Language Pathologists

  • This course will introduce critical topics in diversity, equity and inclusion for speech language pathologists and audiologists through intersectional topics that will invite participants to reflect on their own cultural-linguistic backgrounds and biases in order to understand how they may affect the delivery of effective care. By understanding the needs of diverse populations from firsthand experience, participants will gain comfort in engaging with topics related to cultural competence, cultural humility, and cultural responsiveness, and will develop actionable steps towards more reflective and accountable practice and education.

What’s included

  • ✶

    This course is available for 7.35 ASHA CEUs (Introductory Level, Professional Area, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity).

  • ✶

    The ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE) is awarded by ASHA to eligible individuals who earn 7.0 ASHA CEUs within a 36-month period. Learn more about that here.

  • ✶

    To enroll in this course for 3 graduate credits, follow Fitchburg's registration instructions on this page. Fees are paid directly to Fitchburg State and are nonrefundable. The CRN for this course is 18910.

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR

AC Goldberg (he/him) is a physically disabled intersex/transgender DEI consultant and SLP whose mission is to cultivate affirming spaces for people of all neurotypes, races, genders, ages, religions, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds and (dis)abilities. AC’s work centers around empathy, humanity and intersectional cultural responsiveness. He delivers high impact keynote speeches, facilitates transformative workshops and provides consulting around strategic initiatives and policy. With over 2 decades of experience, AC revolutionizes spaces by practicing restorative justice and fostering a sense of belonging for all. His continuing education nonprofit, The CREDIT Institute, is dedicated to advancing equity in educational and healthcare settings. AC is the 2022 recipient of the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Outstanding Achievement Award. If you’d like to get to know him, he's @transplaining and @CREDITsInstitute on Instagram.

AC Goldberg (he/him) PhD, CCC-SLP is an intersex/transgender Speech-Language Pathologist and DEI consultant.

Financial: AC is the founder of Transplaining LLC and The CREDIT Institute Inc. AC is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Northeastern University. He’s a community partner with CHAT Life Changing Speech Therapy and a contractor with Prismatic Speech Services.

Non-financial: AC is a founding member of the Trans Voice Initiative and is a topic area expert in gender for the Informed SLP. He is a 2023 ASHA Convention Planning Committee Diversity Co-Chair. AC serves on the community advisory board overseeing research out of Boston University about the effects of exogenous testosterone therapy on communication in AFAB speakers. He’s also on the editorial board of the Journal of Communication Disorders.

Meet the Contributors

Karina Saechao

Kim Sanzo

Kyomi Gregory-Martin

Laura Wolford

Meredith Harold

Ruchi Kapila

V Tisi

Joshuaa D. Allison-Burbank

Beck Gee-Cohen

R. Danielle Scott

Course for intersectional cultural responsiveness for speech/language pathologists.

Course format

This is a mixed synchronous/asynchronous online course that consists of weekly class meetings, pre-recorded webinar content, and assigned readings including articles and a textbook. Assignments include weekly participation in an online discussion board and a final essay. Class meets online every week from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM Eastern, and will consist of facilitated live discussions between the course instructor, candidates, and guest lecturers.

Course Topics:

  • The pre-recorded webinars will guide the topic of each week. Webinars are as follows:

    • Prepare for Intersectional Thinking

    • Cultural Humility and Anti-Racism in Therapeutic Relationships

    • Phantom Representation: Power, Prejudice, and Intersectionality in CSD

    • Culturally Responsive Practices Working with Trans/GNC Patients, Clients, and Students Across All Settings for Speech/Language Pathologists

    • Historical Influences on the Health and Education of Indigenous Children: Re-/Un-learning

    • Dialect and Disorder

      • Part 1: It's a Disorder Within a Dialect: Implications on Language Assessment

      • Part 2: Working from a Culturally Responsive Lens: The Impact of Dialect Variation on Language Assessment and Treatment

    • What Does White Supremacy Have to do with Autism?: History to Today to Build an Intersectional Justice Lens for the Multiply Marginalized

    • Cultural Literacy and Responsiveness for SLPs Working with Deaf Children

    • Addressing the Sexual Health Gap in SLP

    • Trauma-informed Practices for Trans* Youth

    • Identifying and Problem-Solving Biases in Speech-Language Pathology Research

To qualify for ASHA CEUs, participants must:

Watch all pre-recorded webinars

Complete all assigned readings

Meet the minimum requirements for the online discussion board

Complete a final essay assignment

Attend all class meetings (makeup work may be completed in the case of absences)

Complete the course feedback survey

It is not possible to earn partial ASHA CEUs for this course.

Required readings:

Horton, R. (2021). Critical perspectives on social justice in speech-language pathology. IGI Global.

Participants are expected to purchase this textbook. This textbook is not provided by CREDIT or the instructor of this course upon registration.

Additional required readings for this course are listed in the course syllabus which is distributed at the beginning of the course. Additional required readings are available for download within the online course portal.

Learning Outcomes & Objectives

Participants will:

  • Describe the impact of implicit and explicit bias with regard to teaching and service provision related to people of varied socio-economic/socio-cultural backgrounds

  • Identify ASHA, state and federal regulations with respect to LGBTQ inclusion in publicly and privately-funded institutions

  • Identify strategies to provide affirming, trauma-informed spaces for marginalized communities in your care and programs, including: trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals, people of marginalized racial identities, speakers of Non-Mainstream American English (NMAE) dialects, neurodivergent populations, Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children, other disabled folks, and the intersections thereof (those who are multiply marginalized)

  • Identify ways in which bias can enter research, and which types of bias are most common in CSD research and why

  • Describe ways to establish or increase the practice of cultural humility, understanding that it is a process of lifelong learning and unlearning, to maximize clinical and learning outcomes

  • Develop resources on unlearning expectations related to age, disability, ethnicity, gender expression, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and health status (and other intersections/identities not mentioned) on health/healthcare outcomes, and describe how those preconceived notions related to those variables may impact service provision

  • Identify considerations to ethically and appropriately apply research findings to practice