As we create and shop for materials to use with our clients, it is essential to be mindful of the visuals and content we select. I mean that each person needs to feel represented as they are more likely to connect to the examples if they see themselves in it. This goes for race, gender, and religious holidays.
I’m willing to bet that most of us have wanted to hang our heads low (so to speak) after selecting an overtly Halloween activity only to find out the student doesn’t celebrate that holiday. To be safe, it is wise to just make and search for seasonal-themed materials (rather than holiday-specific) so we don’t unintentionally offend anyone or make them feel left out in a group session. We can not take it personally or view it as “well, I celebrate it, and I want to share this with my students” because it isn’t about us. This is a selfless career choice, but sometimes, we all need that reminder. We can do this by using pumpkins rather than spooky characters and snowflakes rather than Santa Claus (for example).
When it comes to representation, use visual examples with the races of the students you work with (and beyond). As adults, we know that advertisements work a little better if we feel we are the target audience, and the same goes for our clients when taking in the lesson taught during the therapy session. If you aren’t yet convinced, think about how you cater to your students’ interests, such as specific video games, cartoon characters, and their favorite musicians (I’ve had to research Taylor Swift trivia quite a bit). We would also cater to what they’re exposed to in their environment as it may not be the same as our own- and it isn’t fair to collect data based on something they can’t relate to.
As you select your materials from here on out, put yourself in their shoes and imagine someone of a different culture scoring you based on your background knowledge. You will struggle to achieve your goal over someone who already lives in an environment that uses those phrases or has experienced similar scenarios in role-playing activities. Our goal as speech therapists is to ensure our clients are given opportunities to succeed, and that goes beyond repetition and the number of trials given. Set the people on your caseload up for success in all areas to include appropriate goals paired with the appropriate materials used for each individual.
