The ability to communicate thoughts, feelings, and ideas is an ability many people take for granted. It’s a fundamental capability that is the foundation of all relationships, and thus all organizations, from the smallest family unit to human civilization as a whole.
That’s why it can be incredibly frustrating, disheartening, and disruptive when two people cannot communicate due to differences in language and culture—feelings magnified a hundredfold in cases of injury that affect speech, such as strokes. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are experts dedicated to helping patients overcome these kinds of challenges, regardless of their cause.
One such expert is Jinan Erchid. The licensed speech-language pathologist and proud mother of three has led a career driven by her passion for language, her desire to serve children with communication disorders, and a commitment to making a difference. Her personal background and experience with multiple languages pair with her conviction and drive to establish her as a unique leader in the space, with cultural competency and a dedication to underserved populations rapidly becoming a calling card of her practice.
“I am driven by purpose, grounded in compassion, and committed to being a clinician who not only treats but empowers,” Erchid says. “Whether I’m at home raising my children or in the clinic supporting a patient, I strive to bring empathy, cultural awareness, and excellence to everything I do.”
Critical Cultural Competency
Cross-cultural communication involves more than just differences in language. Different cultural norms and expectations affect how communities interact, and in the incredibly connected world of today, it’s crucial that clinicians and support specialists are able to identify and work within those different needs and expectations. Unfortunately, in Jinan Erchid’s experience, cultural competency is often severely lacking, especially in her own field of speech-language pathology.
Erchid’s trilingual, Arab background helped her develop a strong appreciation for cultural and linguistic diversity, which eventually led to her studying the science of language in college, and thus her current career as a speech therapist. Thus, it was a defining moment for her to discover firsthand just how lacking the speech-language services were for children in the Arab Gulf countries. Entire communities in need of specialized assistance were left wanting because of a lack of cultural competency and understanding, and Jinan Erchid committed herself to providing that kind of care to those kinds of populations both in the U.S. and abroad. Through English, Arabic, and American Sign Language, Erchid bridges the gap to connect with clients and families that might otherwise be left behind.
This commitment and perspective is backed by continuous learning, empathy, and a deep respect for others. Erchid’s clients are often suffering through, or have recently suffered from, intensely emotional events either related to or in parallel with their care needs, and thus have unique emotional needs that must be respected. In multilingual contexts, it’s especially important to work with respect and empathy, and Jinan Erchid is working hard to provide precisely that to everyone in her care.
“For families in grief, I sit with them in the hard emotions instead of rushing to fix,” she explains.
“With multilingual communication (whether in Arabic, ASL, or using interpreters), I slow down, check for understanding, and avoid jargon. As a mom, I remind myself: if I were on the other side of the table, I’d want someone to treat my child’s journey with dignity.”
Consistently Pushing The Envelope
Jinan Erchid’s career has been one of innovation, clinical development, and balance—both in regard to the unique needs of clients, and in relation to her own children. Erchid tackles these challenges with focused strategies, routines, and strong habits, each of which provides the consistency and stability needed for her necessary work with underserved communities. As a leader driving toward expanded cultural competency in her field, she’s building relationships and frameworks all aimed at maximizing client outcomes.
“Consistency and transparency are the habits that sustain my professional relationships,” she says. “I make sure caregivers feel heard, physicians have timely updates, and interdisciplinary colleagues know their expertise is valued. Mentors taught me that relationships are built less on ‘knowing all the answers’ and more on listening first, speaking second.”
To achieve her goals and to keep up with evolving patient needs, Jinan Erchid needs to be learning constantly. Fortunately, that’s never been a problem for her—she is currently investing in AAC training, trauma-informed care, and bilingual language development to better provide care to her specific patients, in addition to regular continuous education activities (reading clinical journals, taking courses, joining webinars, etc.). These efforts translate into cutting-edge therapy that’s more compassionate and culturally responsive than traditionally expected, especially for families navigating multilingualism.
Embracing Leadership
Jinan Erchid’s recent shift toward program development puts her in a leadership position both institutionally and ideologically as a speech-language pathologist. She’s now responsible for not just her patients and their families, but for her industry peers, colleagues, and supporting teams. This leadership naturally comes with unique challenges of delegation, motivation, and decision-making—challenges she’s taken in stride. She leans heavily on time-blocking and non-negotiable routines to carve out focused, interruption-free windows for clinical work and program leadership. Her processes are guided by her core leadership values, as the former exist to serve the latter through her work.
“The three values I hold closest are empathy, respect, and lifelong learning,” she says. “With patients, it means I respect their pace and culture. With colleagues, it means I invite questions and admit when I don’t know something. With my kids, it means showing them that growth doesn’t stop when school ends—mom is still learning every day, too.”
Decision-making follows a simple, replicable process. When facing a clinical decision, Erchid starts by considering evidence-based practice first and foremost, then she weighs cultural and linguistic factors to ensure that a plan honors the family’s values, language, and background. Finally, that plan is tested against real-world constraints like time, resources, and insurance. Her guiding principle is simple: “If I wouldn’t want the decision made for my own child without considering all three lenses, I won’t make it for someone else’s.”
At a program and practice level, Jinan Erchid has to balance which cases and problems to handle herself and which to delegate to her talented team and staff. As before, the decision-making process is simple: if the task requires her specific expertise, she takes it; otherwise, it’s an opportunity for someone else to learn and grow from the responsibility. The most strategic, family-facing, and clinically specialized tasks fall to Erchid, but she keeps her program flexible and scalable by giving her colleagues the guidance and support to take on other tasks without issue. Her practice is one of empowerment and cultural competency, and that is felt at every stage.