An exploratory study on the perceptions of Filipino speech-language pathologists on their roles in social development

ABSTRACT

Background@#The current Policies, Standards and Guidelines for Speech Pathology Education of the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines includes competencies that prepare speech pathology graduates for roles in social development such as being advocates and community-based therapists. These need to be further explored to guide practitioners in defining their roles from those of the clinicians, educators, or researchers. @*Objective@#This preliminary study explored the perceptions of Filipino speech-language pathologists on their roles in social development. @*Methodology@#This study used a qualitative design through focus group interviews. Seven participants were selected through purposive sampling and assigned to one of two group interviews. The participants were members of the Philippine Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, living in Metro Manila, and had been involved in community programs in varied capacities. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. @*Results and Discussion@#Three roles of speech-language pathologists in social development were identified: (1) being an advocate for the profession and for people with disabilities, (2) health service educator which involves imparting knowledge and training people from the community, and (3) a community-based therapist. @*Conclusions@#The results provide insights into the areas of competence necessary in community service and development to further inform the 2017 CHED memorandum and help design specific courses that equip graduates to assume the role of a social advocate. Competencies related to these roles in social development can still be further clarified by future research and should be specifically targeted in the curricula.