Purpose This tutorial discusses what it means to be a culturally responsive speech-language pathologist (SLP) and then grounds this discussion in strategies that SLPs can engage in to diversify the books and other materials that they use in clinical practice. Method We motivate the tutorial by reviewing policy statements and theoretical information from allied literature. Then, we suggest some ways that SLPs can reflect on their practice to enact an antiracist/culturally responsive approach to treatment, taking the selection of children's literature up as a particular example. We identified strategies that have been suggested across a variety of fields and illustrate these strategies with examples. We both provide recommendations for how to select picture books and also suggest ways to implement these suggestions with accountability. Conclusions There is a need for SLPs to reflect on how to be culturally responsive in their practice and to review their materials selection practices with regard to how materials reflect the composition of their caseloads. As a predominantly White profession serving diverse caseloads, we have an ethical obligation to review our choice of materials and align them with culturally responsive practices.

Purpose We provide a preliminary report on speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) practices with regard to the selection of representative materials for clinical service delivery. Method We conducted a pilot survey of the practices of SLPs serving children under age 9 years, asking them about the books used, their own race, and the racial composition of their caseload. The survey was begun by 181 SLPs. Complete responses from 22 Black SLPs and 79 White SLPs were coded for the race of the protagonist of the named books and the rationale given for book selection. Results Black SLPs were more likely than White SLPs to report selecting books with people and selecting books with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color protagonists. For neither group did the book selection align with their own reported intents to select diverse books. SLP race and the racial composition of caseloads were tightly aligned. Thus, we lacked the power to determine if caseload composition uniquely predicted diverse books selection or motivations provided. Conclusions There is a need to better understand selection of materials by SLPs as it relates to culturally competent practice. Additional methods (focus groups and purposive sampling) would be required to fully understand the social pressures and motivations influencing SLP decisions.