Poor health practices, limited health care opportunities, and little or no preventive care has resulted in a population with higher than national average rates of coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and obesity. In summary, before providing rehabilitation services to individuals from Appalachia, it is recommended that the Speech-language Pathologist first acquire information about Appalachian culture and communication patterns. Although Appalachian Americans are of European ancestry and therefore not generally considered to be a minority group, culture and communication patterns may be quite variable within this population. Knowledge of culture and communication will influence one's ability to develop personally relevant assessment and treatment. This is important if we are to help the patient achieve maximal quality of life and truly functional outcomes as a result of our clinical intervention.
Multicultural communication skills in the classroom .
Allyn and Bacon. Adult aphasia rehabilitation .