Samenvatting

Multilingualism can both enrich and complicate interactions in health care. Research shows that language differences between providers and patients can lead to less access and lower quality of care. A specific type of care where communication is both instrument and goal of therapy is speech language therapy (SLT). Several studies within the field of SLT were performed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of complex multilingual cases (Hyter & Salas-Provance) but little research is done on how SLT’s reach mutual understanding with multilingual clients. Although SLT’s are experts in communication, experiences from the work field indicate that these professionals often feel less competent in the interaction with multilingual clients. Exploratory and design research is needed to gain insight into and optimize this complex communicative setting.