The Perspectives of Cameroonian-Americans on Communication Disorders in Cameroon and the United States

Abstract

Cameroon is a West-Central African country on the Gulf of Guinea, comprised of over 200 languages including the country’s national languages, French and English. With limited access to speech-language pathology (SLP) services in sub-Saharan African countries, including Cameroon, there is a paucity of research and knowledge about communication disorders and speech-language pathology services in Cameroon. The current study aimed to better understand the cultural perspectives of Cameroon-Americans by answering the follow research questions: a) How familiar are Cameroonian-Americans with speech-language pathology services in Cameroon and the United States? b) What are the cultural beliefs amongst Cameroon-Americans on the etiology, prevention, and treatment of speech and/or language disorders? Forty-two (42) Cameroonian-Americans from 13 states were surveyed. Participants were administered a Qualtrics survey with a demographic questionnaire, open-ended questions, and Likert scale questions. The researcher analyzed Cameroonian-Americans’ responses to 43 questions and statements about stuttering, articulation disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Results from the study reveal that Cameroonian-Americans would benefit from more education on SLP services available to individuals with communication disorders in Cameroon and the United States. Cameroonians would also benefit from increasing access to these services in Cameroon. Key words: Cameroon, Cameroonian-Americans, cultural beliefs, perspectives, stuttering, articulation disorder, intellectual and developmental disabilities, speech-language disorders, communication disorders, speech-language pathology, orthophoniste, logopedist