In order for clinicians to competently provide services to a person who stutters, they need be aware of and sensitive to many issues. The continued growth of multicultural populations in the United States will necessitate an increase of awareness and sensitivity on the part of our profession. Thus, requiring changes in our traditional assessment and treatment practices with people who stutter. A culturally competent clinician is sensitive to issues related to culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, and social class. However, cultural competence is more than simply acquiring knowledge about ethnic-racial groups.
Culture is arbitrary and changeable.
It is learned and exists at different levels of conscious awareness. Culture is also a double-edged sword, on one hand social groups live together because of shared values, beliefs, and practices. Within groups we see disharmony because of judgments of ones' own values, beliefs and practices. Cultural Influences on Communication Styles Multicultural considerations in the assessment and treatment of stuttering are not new. Primarily because of areas in which culture influences communication styles.