Overcoming the Barrier in Special Education: A Qualitative Investigation Into the Need for Speech and Language Therapists in St. Lucia

Abstract

There has been serious under-representation of speech and language therapists in St. Lucia even with the genesis and augmentation of this service in the Western world. A qualitative study was conducted to investigate the need for this service in St. Lucia. The few related personnel in the area of speech and language therapy were contacted. In addition, the researcher met with speech and language therapists in Barbados to explore what was being done in the region. All data was collected via personal interviews, online interviews, telephone interviews, and e-mail. Findings suggest that the government is not doing enough to provide speech and language services to the children of St. Lucia who need them.