Conceptualisation of a culturally responsive speech and language assessment for Ghanaian-English speaking children

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the views of Ghanaian speech-language pathologists about the development of a culturally appropriate speech and language assessment tool for children. Method: The study used qualitative methods with data collected in two focus groups. A total of 11 Ghanaian speech-language pathologists discussed questions about the purpose, scope, target group, and target skills of a speech and language assessment tool for children. Discussions were recorded digitally and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: Findings indicated that Ghanaian speech-language pathologists currently have challenges in accurately assessing the speech and language of children given the lack of culturally appropriate tools available. Speech-language pathologists stressed the importance of developing a culturally appropriate tool and shared their views on the purpose, scope, target group, and target skills of the tool. There were similarities and differences between the focus groups. The majority of speech-language pathologists stated that ideally they would prefer a diagnostic tool for both speech and language disorders. Conclusion: This study contributes to the growing body of research that sheds light on the importance of using culturally appropriate tools to assess children in culturally diverse contexts.