JCPSLP Vol 19 No 1 2017

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JCPSLP Volume 19, Number 1 2017 23
Receiving positive feedback from the speech-language
pathologist was cited as important by some participants:
“It’s good to hear it from a professional – that you’re doing
the right thing” (7).
Difficulty in knowing how to contact the speech-language
pathologist was also mentioned: “If you lose a piece of paper,
or move house, it can be difficult to know how to contact” (4).
Location and physical access
Participants were recruited from seven sites, so responses
relating to location or transport varied depending on
participant location. Some participants listed location and
transport as factors impacting on attendance:
It’s only 15–20 minutes away, so that’s good. (5)
I don’t have a car, and to catch another bus would
take half an hour and have to walk 10 minutes or more.
That would make it really hard to get there. (3)
Outreach services (e.g., in home or preschool)
Attendance at an Aboriginal maternal and child health
service was discussed by one participant, with benefits
including home-visiting: “They come to you – this was
helpful when I didn’t have a car” (4).
Multiple services in one location
Some participants mentioned services that they had
attended which provided multiple services, e.g., an
Aboriginal Medical Service: “The whole family goes there
– my child has had the same doctor there since I was
pregnant with him. They provide services like speech and
dental” (5).
Theme 3: Influence of the client’s
community and Aboriginal culture
Changes to child’s communication observed
by others
Caregivers reported receiving feedback from others in the
community about changes they had noticed in the
children’s communication: “More people are understanding
him” (10); “Preschool noticed the difference” (5).
Others’ perceptions of child
Negative perceptions about children with communication
impairment were raised: “Some people look down on you
when you have children that have something wrong with
them” (3).
Aboriginal staff and resources
Participants reported benefits of Aboriginal-specific
services, relating to the resources, as well as the staff:
My son loves the picture there – the Aboriginal pictures
– he looks at all of them. (3)
Having someone to understand culturally – no
judgement. (4)
My son has had the same doctor there since I was
pregnant with him. (5)
When asked how the SLP service could be made more
culturally-appropriate, participants provided the following
suggestions:
Having someone call rather than send a letter. (4)
Need to make people more aware of why there are no
adults with speech delay. (10)
Extra free lessons. (8)
Some things that people may like are Aboriginal
languages being included in therapy. (7)
Some participants did not identify any strategies for the
service: “I’m really happy with going now” (2).
The different backgrounds and experiences of Aboriginal
families were succinctly expressed by one participant:
Everyone’s so different (7).
Community awareness of SLP
Some participants noted that other people in the Aboriginal
community were not aware of SLP services, or the
significance of communication impairments, and suggested
greater community education: “Try and get out there [into
schools and community] and provide more information to
families” (6).
Discussion
The themes that were identified by the caregivers in this
study are consistent with those identified in other studies
investigating Aboriginal clients’ experiences with Aboriginal
or mainstream health services, and clients’ (not specifically
Aboriginal clients) experiences with SLP services, including
the skills and knowledge of the caregiver (Department of
Social Services, 2013; O’Callaghan et al., 2005), the impact
of the service provider (NACCHO, 2001) and the
relationship with the community (McBain-Rigg & Veitch,
2011). The caregiver perceptions of the SLP service were
consistent with those identified by non-Aboriginal families
attending similar SLP services elsewhere, such as
relationship with the speech-language pathologist, flexibility,
awareness, and access to transport (McAllister et al., 2011;
O’Callaghan et al., 2005). This overlap in themes indicates
that many issues are common for both Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal families attending SLP, but some issues
(e.g., positive reinforcement, explanations of wider impact)
may be more salient or be relevant (e.g., Aboriginal staff
and resources) only to Aboriginal families.
Factors that facilitate Aboriginal families
to access services
Participants in the present study were already engaged in
SLP services, however, some participants did highlight that
other Aboriginal people may not be aware of the need for
SLP services, and this is consistent with previous research
regarding SLP services (O’Callaghan et al., 2005).
Caregivers need to be aware of the SLP service and its
benefits in order to access and engage with the service.
SLP services need to reinforce the benefits of attending
therapy in relation to skills required for broader life and
community aspects (e.g., social, vocational, and well-being
benefits) through community education. However, if barriers
still exist (e.g., knowledge, transport, location, other
commitments, illness), then families may continue to have
difficulties accessing and engaging with services.
Participants identified that flexibility with the site where
services were provided was important in regards to easy
access to public transport. This could be further facilitated
by SLP services routinely providing caregivers with
information on transport options (e.g., public transport,
community transport).
Ways to increase Aboriginal families’
engagement with services
Participants overwhelmingly cited improvements in their
children’s communication and their own skills as being
facilitative to their engagement with the SLP service.
Improvements in the children’s communication skills
encouraged attendance, with caregivers willing to accept