AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISORDERSAMONG SUPPORT AND AUXILIARY STAFF IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63735/Keywords:
Speech and Language Disorders (SLDs), Auxiliary Staff Awareness, Healthcare Communication, Stigma Reduction, Interprofessional Education, Early Intervention, Patient-Provider InteractionAbstract
Objective: To assess the awareness, perceptions, attitudes, and exposure of support and
auxiliary healthcare staff regarding speech and language disorders.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Sindh Institute of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation (SIPMR) from January 2025 to March 2026. A total of 80 support
and auxiliary staff were recruited using a convenient sampling technique. Data were collected
using a structured, expert-validated questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 with descriptive statistics and a p-value of
<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: A total of 80 participants were included, with a slightly higher proportion of males
(55.0%) compared to females (45.0%). Most participants were aged 36–45 years (31.3%),
followed by 46+ years (27.5%), 18–25 years (25.0%), and 26–35 years (16.3%). Regarding
designation, cleaners formed the largest group (30.0%), followed by guards and others (22.5%
each), attendants (15.0%), and technicians (10.0%). More than half (53.8%) had heard of SLDs,
while 68.8% had encountered affected individuals. Awareness of speech-language therapists
was high (85.0%), and 72.5% recognized the importance of early intervention. However,
misconceptions were observed, including beliefs that late talking is always serious (41.3%) and
that poor parenting causes speech problems (43.8%). Only 31.3% had interacted with a speech-
language therapist. Despite knowledge gaps, most participants showed positive attitudes, with
82.5% supporting helping affected individuals and 77.5% willing to attend training.
Conclusion: Support and auxiliary healthcare staff demonstrated moderate awareness and
generally positive attitudes toward SLDs, but notable gaps in knowledge and professional
exposure remain. Targeted training and interprofessional education are recommended to
improve awareness, referral practices, and patient care.
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Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials. Additional data may be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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