Asking Not Why—but What and When

Asking Not Why—but What and When

Did you know that powerful connections with your clients/patients/students and/or care partners begin with how we ask questions?

As service providers, our communication matters—not only in what we say but also in how we say it. Communication also includes how we receive what was said. We can't provide effective communication tools if we don't know our communication partner's linguistic profile. This is the foundation for person-centered care. The person you're interacting with knows their own communication and needs—and they can teach you those needs if you let them!

Ethnographic interviewing centers the discussion around your client/patient/student and/or care partner by wording questions in a way that allows them to share about themselves. Ask questions to find out how language fits into their day-to-day life—rather than telling them what their day-to-day life should look like. Being thoughtful about how you ask your questions creates authentic connections and leads to better outcomes.

Let's start here:

TRY	AVOID
Asking open-ended questions	Asking yes/no questions
Restating exact words	Paraphrasing
Stopping to summarize	Waiting to summarize
Asking questions one at a time	Asking multi-step/multi-part questions
Following their lead with questions	Leading with questions
Using what, who, and when questions	Using why questions

Go to ASHA's Practice Portal page on Cultural Responsiveness for more information on how to collect case histories and conduct an ethnographic interview.