Being born and raised in paradise (in my case, Sint Maarten) has its pros and cons. Although the Caribbean offers incredibly rich culture, food, and scenery, many islands face limited access to specialized health care. That access can be the difference between recovery and continued decline. My family and I know this only too well because we directly experienced it for ourselves.
In 2021, my mother suffered a stroke. I witnessed the most vibrant, outgoing person in my life wither away, losing her confidence and suffering emotionally. Her frustrated face following the stroke and before she got therapy is permanently etched into my memory. At that point, I realized that I didn’t truly understand the value of communication until I watched her struggle to express herself to us.
Fortunately, my mother was able to receive speech therapy. Although the recovery process was long, I watched her gradually regain her communication skills and flourish in ways I once feared wouldn’t be possible. The improvement did not happen overnight, but each milestone represented one small step forward.
Watching her transformation made me realize the importance of speech therapy. Therapy allowed my mother to regain not just words but also renewed confidence, independence, and a strong sense of herself. In many ways, speech therapy became the foundation that allowed my mother to become herself again—and it inspired me to become that source of support for others facing similar challenges.
A Need for Speech-Language Pathology
After watching my mother’s stroke journey of relearning words and gradually regaining her ability to communicate, I noticed how rare speech therapy services actually were in Sint Maarten. And, although she was fortunate to receive the care that she needed, the scarcity of these services made me realize that many others with communication disorders or disabilities may not have the same opportunities for support and recovery that my mother did. Her experience is only one example of a much larger need throughout the Caribbean. According to UNICEF, more than 19 million children in the Caribbean and Latin America live with disabilities; many of these children struggle to access specialized health care services such as rehabilitation and speech therapy (Arora, 2024).
Experiences like this also highlight another challenge—awareness of the profession itself. Speech-language pathology often goes unnoticed by students as a potential career choice. Many students may never realize the impact that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have in helping individuals recover from strokes, address developmental disorders, and successfully navigate communication challenges.
Global Perspective on Speech-Language Pathology
Although the Caribbean’s health care reality highlights a clear gap in access to speech-language pathology services, this issue is not unique to Sint Maarten. In many countries, the speech-language pathology profession lacks the organizational support and advocacy networks found in the United States through groups such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (National NSSLHA).
As a result, progress often depends on individual clinicians rather than established professional bodies. This factor can limit training opportunities, resources, and public awareness. When we look at the profession of speech-language pathology through this global lens, it becomes clear that disparities in care are not only geographical but are also systemic, emphasizing the need for international collaboration and support.
Differences in Education and Professional Opportunities
Watching my mother’s recovery raised an important question for me:
Who will serve the next generation of individuals who have communication disorders and who happen to live in communities like Sint Maarten?
Students from the Caribbean may not have a clear pathway into the profession—and without local training programs or mentors, many aspiring clinicians must leave home and attend college in other countries to pursue their education—and many do not return.
Compared with the United States—where students have access to accredited programs, clinical placements, and professional organizations that guide their development and education as well as their exposure to promising professional opportunities—access is far more limited on islands like Sint Maarten. The need for speech-language pathologists remains critical—individuals with communication and swallowing disorders still require care, regardless of geographic location! Creating more educational pathways—especially for students in remote and under-served areas of the world—would help more students return home to serve their own communities after graduating from college.
The Importance of Diversity in the Field
Another critical issue within speech-language pathology is ensuring diversity among professionals in the field. Reflecting on my mother receiving speech therapy, I realized the importance of having an SLP who shares a cultural background with my mother. My mother never had to explain her accent or wonder whether her SLP understood the way she naturally communicated. This shared background was critical for connecting with someone from the same culture and avoiding any language and dialect barriers.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case for speech-language pathology patients. According to the 2025 ASHA Member and Affiliate Profile, 74% of professionals identify as white, despite serving highly diverse populations. This mismatch can impact the quality of care, as cultural understanding and shared experiences often play a role in building trust and effective communication between clinicians and clients. Increasing diversity within the field is essential if we are to ensure that all individuals feel seen, understood, and appropriately supported (Allen, 2025).
As the populations we serve continue to grow more diverse, so too must the professionals providing them care.
Personal Perspectives and Cultural Connections
As someone who was born and raised in Sint Maarten and who has seen the benefits of professionals using their backgrounds to connect with their clients, I plan to bring a unique cultural perspective to my career path—one that can enhance my future practice as an SLP—by returning home to serve my community.
My belief is that clients from Caribbean backgrounds may feel more comfortable working with someone who understands their culture, dialect, and lived experiences. For example, my mother has a very strong Guyanese Creole accent. Because my mother and her SLP shared a common Caribbean background, they were able to avoid any communication barriers that would have inhibited therapy—compare this situation to one in which a clinician is unfamiliar with the specific linguistic features of Guyanese Creole. My background allows me to bridge this potential gap and build stronger rapport with clients who may otherwise feel misunderstood or overlooked.
Future Directions and Solutions
Addressing these challenges requires both local and global efforts. Increasing awareness of speech-language pathology as a career path—particularly among high school students in underrepresented regions—could help build a more diverse, accessible workforce. Local NSSLHA chapters may serve as a positive outreach source for introducing and educating potential future professionals about the field.
ASHA provides a list of nonprofit organizations that dedicate themselves to serving international areas and providing opportunities for communication sciences and disorders (CSD) students to volunteer abroad. These opportunities are beneficial not only for helping those in underresourced areas get the speech services they need but also for serving as an outreach opportunity to introduce and educate students in those regions about the existence of speech-language pathology as a promising career path.
Partnerships between NSSLHA chapters and international communities could provide resources, training opportunities, and support for future clinicians outside the United States. By investing in education, outreach, and diversity, the profession of speech-language pathology can move toward more equitable and inclusive care.
To my fellow speech-language pathology students from minority backgrounds: Being in a CSD program can be a daunting task—especially in environments where your peers are very different from you. There may be times when you feel like you’re the only person in the room who shares your background. Nevertheless, the phrase “closed mouths don’t get fed” is a very relevant and applicable analogy: We can sometimes be hesitant about breaking societal norms or advocating and pursuing previously unheard-of opportunities. I have chosen to challenge that hesitation—by advocating for myself and boldly pursuing opportunities with confidence—and doing so has ultimately led to my being recognized at the college level through student highlights and recognition programs.
Ultimately, the need for SLPs in the Caribbean reflects a broader global issue of health care accessibility and representation. Although regions like Sint Maarten face unique challenges, they also present opportunities for growth, innovation, and meaningful impact. By recognizing disparities and working toward solutions, future clinicians—especially those from diverse backgrounds—can play a vital role in spearheading the creation of a more inclusive and accessible profession.
One day, I hope to return to Sint Maarten and become the kind of SLP who helped my own family. My mother’s recovery showed me what is possible when people have access to care—and why every community deserves that same opportunity.