Learning about and understanding any culture different from our own can be a daunting task. Cultural sensitivity and competence are a necessity for clinicians and researchers given the increasingly diverse clientele served by speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech-language and hearing scientists. So, where does one begin when attempting to understand and become aware of the many cultural variables that can influence a clinical interaction? Through this article, we hope to answer this question by providing a framework for understanding cultural diversity and the dire need for cultural competence in our professions.

The goal of this article is to stimulate discussion and reflection about diversity-related issues, including, for example, differences in clients’ perceptions of and attitudes towards testing and treatment related to swallowing disorders.