DEI Case Studies

The case studies below are intended for a small group activity during the seminar, "Utilizing Student Leadership to Support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in CSD Disciplines," presented by National NSSLHA's Executive Council on November 20, 2021.

Case Study 1: Ability

Nora is an Autistic second-year CSD graduate student getting ready to start her first placement. She's passionate about working with adults in acute care settings and intends to work in a hospital after graduation. She excelled in her medical-focused courses, like dysphagia, and is eager to apply what she’s learned in a clinical setting.

When the semester began, the majority of Nora’s peers had placements lined up, but she was disappointed to find out she didn't. Nora met with her professor, the clinical coordinator, and was told that she wouldn’t be able to place Nora in a medical setting because the clinical supervisors were, “not comfortable taking on a student with a disability.” Her professor explained, “someone like you should consider other options” because Nora wouldn’t be able to “keep up” in a fast-paced medical setting or develop the counseling competencies needs to effectively work with patients and their families.

Upset, Nora turned to her friend Andre and disclosed what happened. She believed that her professor was unfair and that she was being underestimated because she is Autistic. Andre understood where Nora was coming from, but told her that she should trust that their professors have students’ best interests in mind. Plus, Andre thinks to himself, they've placed hundreds of students over the years and probably have a good sense of what each student is capable of.

Discussion Questions

What implicit biases are present in this scenario?
What hidden insult, or microaggression, did the clinical coordinator make towards Nora? How are microaggressions like this harmful?
How could Andre have responded differently in a way that is neurodiversity-affirming and inclusive? What leadership skills would help him better navigate this situation?
As a student leader, what's one concrete action you could take to promote equitable opportunities for students of all abilities in the future?
What advice, resources, or supportive groups could you share with Nora to help her navigate this situation?

Case Study 2: LGBTQ+

Josué is in the first year of his AuD program. He's become close with several students in his cohort and spends most of his time studying, joking, or hanging out with them. He finally felt comfortable telling his friends about his long-term boyfriend. Most of them didn't seem to react, which relieved him.

One day, while working in a hearing aids lab, Josué was having difficulty completing part of the assignment. His friend, Sean, stepped in and completed it with ease. Afterwards, Sean looked at Josué and jokingly said, “It’s not your fault. Gay guys are more built for speech path anyway.” Josué laughed along with everyone else, but didn’t find it funny. He just didn’t want to turn it into a big deal.

Later, Josué and his friends were chatting about the fields they want to work in within audiology. Josué said it was too soon to know for sure and that he needed more professional experience before deciding. Sean said he thought Josué would go for a pediatrics placement and insisted that he couldn't see Josué working anywhere else. When Sean said this, all their friends chimed in with agreement; though none of them could explain why. Although Josué hadn't seen a pediatric appointment yet, he thought to himself that he never enjoyed working with children in the past.

Discussion Questions

What implicit biases are present in this scenario?
What hidden insult, or microaggression, did Sean make directed at Josué? How are microaggressions like this directed at LGBTQ+ individuals harmful?
What leadership qualities would help Sean respond to his friend in a more culturally competent manner?
What is one action you could take as a student leader to foster a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ students and clients in the university clinic?
What advice, resources, or supportive groups could you share with Josué to help him navigate this situation?

Case Study 3: Religion

Talia is in the first year of her SLP graduate program. When she met her co-clinician, Karina, the two sat down to divide the work for session plans and reports. Talia shared with Karina that it's currently the Jewish holiday season (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kipur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah) and that she'd be missing several days of school and clinic over the next few weeks. Talia said that once the holidays were over in early October, she'd make it up to Karina by taking on more of the work. Karina said this would be fine, but Talia could sense a little frustration in her voice.

Later, Talia overheard a conversation between Karina and another student. Karina was complaining about how she “got stuck with the religious girl with all of the excuses” as her first co-clinician. She said that it was unfair that Talia got allowances for being absent and that she wished she could take multiple vacations too. Although Talia overheard the entire conversation, she pretended she couldn’t hear them and walked away. She considered speaking to Karina about it, but Talia was already insecure being the only non-Catholic student in the program.

Discussion Questions

What are implicit biases present in this scenario?
What hidden insult, or microaggression, did Karina make directed at Talia? How are microaggressions like this directed at individuals from different religions and worldviews harmful?
You are a student in the conversation with Karina. What could you do to foster a culture of respect and inclusivity for different religious and worldview identities? What leadership skills would help you navigate this conversation?
What is one action you could take as a student leader to advocate for policies and practices that affirm religious diversity and interfaith competencies in your academic program?
What resources, groups, or individuals could Talia turn to for support navigating this situation?

Case Study 4: Gender

Cameron is excited to start their first year as a graduate SLP clinician. They met with their supervisor, Dr. T, days before the session, and mentioned that they use they/them pronouns. Dr. T, wrote something in her notes but didn't verbally acknowledge the information. She quickly continued talking about their upcoming client. Cameron assumed the best and moved on without thinking about it further.

The day of the session, Cameron sat down with the client, John. Cameron introduced themself and included their preferred pronouns. John nodded agreeably and the two had a productive session.

At the post-session meeting, Dr. T mentioned to Cameron that it would be smart to leave “all of that” outside of the professional environment. Cameron said that the client was not bothered by it, but Dr. T pointed out that John had a lot of work to do in therapy, and, “worrying about what to call you shouldn’t be an added burden.” Cameron felt ashamed, but they decided it wouldn’t have to come up again.

In the next session, Cameron wore a pin on their nametag with their preferred pronouns. Cameron had gotten it at the New York State Speech, Language, and Hearing (NYSSLHA) Convention in the previous year and figured it would be appropriate for the workplace. John was very productive at this session and Cameron was excited to talk to Dr. T about all of their progress. Immediately, Dr. T brought up Cameron’s pin, and said it was “not professional” or appropriate for the clinic. Cameron explained that they had obtained it at a NYSSLHA convention, but Dr. T retorted that Cameron is a student and that they can “call yourself and wear whatever you want when you’re a speech-language pathologist.” On Cameron’s bi-weekly clinician report, Dr. T noted “inability to follow instructions.”

Discussion Questions

In this scenario, what are implicit biases about gender identity and personal gender pronouns?
What hidden insult, or microaggression, did Mr. T make directed at Cameron? How are gendered microaggressions like this harmful?
You are Cameron’s co-clinician. What could you do to support your partner? What leadership qualities would help you navigate this situation with cultural competency?
As a student leader, what is one action you could take to create a more gender-inclusive clinic or classroom?
What advice, resources, or supportive groups could you share with Cameron to help them navigate this situation?

Case Study 5: BIPOC

Candace is a first-year speech-language pathology graduate student at a midwestern university and the only Black student in her program. She's excited to begin working with her first client in the clinic and eagerly meets with her supervisor.

At the end of their meeting, the clinical supervisor tells Candace that she presents herself as “very unprofessional.” When Candace pressed further to find out what the issue was, her supervisor reluctantly shared that the problem is with her braids. Candace patiently explained that this is her natural hair and that she also worked professionally as an SLPA before attending graduate school, where she also wore her hair in braids. Still, the supervisor insisted that her hair is “not appropriate for a graduate clinician” and won't instill confidence in her clients.

Candace felt singled out and hurt, but doesn’t want to stir the pot and instead pulls her braids back in a low bun before her first session in the clinic. After her first session, Candace’s supervisor schedules a quick meeting to provide some feedback but instead uses the meeting to explain that it’s her job to help students learn how to conduct and present themselves in a pre-professional environment. “I’m not trying to offend you, but it’s important to look like a professional,” she said. “You’re representing our program and the university to these clients.”

Discussion Questions

What do the supervisor’s comments regarding Candace’s hair imply about her implicit biases toward people of color?
What hidden insult, or microaggression, did the supervisor make directed at Candace? How are microaggressions like this directed at people of color harmful?
Imagine you are Candace’s co-clinician for this client and she tells you what happened. What leadership skills would help you navigate this situation?
As a student leader, what is one activity you could do to promote inclusivity for BIPOC students and clients in your clinical program?
What advice, resources, or supportive groups could you share with Candace to help her navigate this situation?

Case Study 6: SES

Jasmine is an undergraduate CSD student and a first-generation college student. She lives at home with her single mother and two younger brothers, and worked extra hard in high school to earn private scholarships that mostly cover the cost of her tuition.

Recently, she and her classmates began observing sessions for a clinic prep class. The professor told the class that everyone must purchase a specific pair of headphones compatible with the monitors used at her university to observe group therapy sessions. Jasmine checked online and one pair of these headphones cost almost $100. Jasmine had just paid her tuition bill and with the cost of gas for driving to-and-from campus, she simply didn’t have an extra $100 this month.

Her friend, Nicole, suggested everyone order now as a group to save on shipping costs. Everyone gave Nicole the money immediately, but Jasmine, knowing she didn’t have it, sat quietly. After class, Jasmine asked the professor if there was a less expensive option or if she could borrow a pair from the university. They responded, “We don’t have any extra pairs for you to use. This expenditure was in the course syllabus, so it's your job to plan ahead.”

The next week in class, all of Jasmine’s classmates discussed what they'd learned from observing various types of therapy sessions. When it was Jasmine’s turn, she didn’t have any observations to share. Her professor asked why not. Jasmine replied that she didn’t complete the assignment and wondered, "how could she tell her whole class that she couldn’t afford the headphones that everyone else had so easily purchased?"

Discussion Questions

What implicit bias about people from lower socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds is present in this scenario?
What hidden insult, or microaggression, did the professor make directed at Jasmine? How are microaggressions like this harmful?
What leadership skills would have helped Nicole respond differently and in a manner inclusive of students from all SES backgrounds?
As a student leader, what is one action you could take to create a more equitable college experience for all students?
What advice, resources, or supportive groups could you share with Jasmine to help her navigate this situation?