Taking responsibility for culturally fitting approaches in
speech and language services alongside Indigenous peoples
Dr. Sharla Mskokii Peltier
University of Alberta
&
Dr. Jessica Ball
University of Victoria
Embedded Files
Space for reflective practice
Space for reflective practice
Welcome to this space to continue your learning. Within this space, we encourage you to engage in a reflective practice. Through this space, we aim to support you in continuing to delve into the important issues, perspectives, and approaches presented by our speakers, Dr. Sharla Mskokii Peltier and Dr. Jessica Ball.
As you continue to engage in this process, we recommend you create a journal - either on paper or on your computer. In this journal, you might consider reflecting on: What do I know about culturally fitting approaches in speech and language services? How do I know (e.g., lived experiences, professional experiences, formal learning)? What have I learned through this talk? What questions has it raised? Where am I going? How can I continue this learning?
What will you find here?
A summary and recording of the talk
Suggested readings to further your reflections
Refection questions on the topic
We would be so pleased if you would share your thoughts in an anonymised space to share back with learners along this journey together.
Summary
Summary
This presentation calls upon rehabilitation practitioners to:
think critically about the canon of theory, methods and tools that are held as universal, standardized, and mainstays of professional practice, and to
consider carefully whether and which of these are truly representative and responsive to the goals, values and needs of service recipients.
The speakers explicitly refer to speech and language services and the frequent mishandling of speech-language service delivery with Indigenous children. However, their critique and call to action are applicable across diagnostic and intervention services. The emphasis of this presentation is on relational practice that opens opportunities to learn about the values, goals, and needs of families and communities regarding communication and generate novel approaches that are culturally and community-fitting.
Dr. Sharla Mskokii Peltier and Dr. Jessica Ball hope that:
listeners will get beyond intonations about Indigenous children and families being “hard to serve”, and that
listeners will turn their gaze upon their professional practice and how this can result in Indigenous people experiencing cultural unsafety when they encounter the clinical, ancillary service system.
Suggested Readings
Suggested Readings
The University of Alberta's Library has a wonderful set of resources for exploring Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
https://guides.library.ualberta.ca/edi/home.
As you continue your learning, we would recommend you explore these readings.
Ball, J. (2021, July). Finding Fitting Solutions to Assessment of Indigenous Young Children’s Learning and Development: Do It in a Good Way. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 6, p. 257). Frontiers.
Peltier, S. M. (In Press). Seven Directions Early Learning for Indigenous Land Literacy Wisdom. In Role of place and play in young children’s language and literacy. Edited by Shelley Stagg-Peterson and Nichola Friedrich, University of Toronto Press. 18 pp.
Peltier, S. M. (2021). The Child Is Capable: Anishinaabe Pedagogy of Land and Community. In Frontiers in Education (p. 284). Frontiers.
Peltier, S. (2017). An Anishinaabe perspective on children’s language learning to inform “seeing the aboriginal child”. Language and Literacy, 19(2), 4-19.
Reflection Questions
Reflection Questions
How can you identify indicators of cultural unsafety in client’s responses to rehabilitation services?
How can you bring a critical perspective to practice with culturally diverse clients?
How can you form partnerships with families and community programs to have an honoring and collaborative approach?
What are frequently encountered features of Indigenous communication systems?
What are promising ways to honour Indigenous speech and language systems in practice?
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