Assignment: Medical Physical Therapy

Pre-Assignment 6 Ps of Contextual Analysis

PLACE

PARTICIPANTS

PERSPECTIVE

The session will be at a local physical therapy center. I expect the

lighting to be good and the noise level should be low as to not
interfere with hearing the information to convey. There may be
limited space available (due to many machines and tables) and
could be a challenge to find the optimal interpreter placement.
More than likely, the interpreter will stand so that the Deaf
consumer, who could be lying down, can see the interpretation.
Expected participants are the Deaf consumer/patient, the mentor
interpreter, the student interpreter, the physical therapist(s), and
the receptionist. There will most likely be other patients and
therapists working around where the interpretation will take place.
Race, age and gender varies, however, the demographics for this is
area would suggest that most participants are Caucasian. The
ages of the physical therapists would probably be between 23 and
45. Patients could vary in age, however, most will probably be
older than 25 or 30. Everyone knows each other fairly well except
for the student interpreter. This Deaf patient has been coming
here for treatment for weeks with the same interpreter and staff.
This is the student interpreters first time meeting the mentor
interpreter, the Deaf consumer and the staff as well.
The employer and other employees do not know anything about
Deaf culture, but the Deaf person knows hearing culture he or she
has had to learn hearing culture to adapt and be successful in the
hearing world. The interpreter is at an advantage because he or
she has to know both cultures to interpret nuances and hidden
meanings to ensure meaning accuracy. The staff has a medical
perspective relating to the patients injury.

POINT

To treat the patients injury through physical therapy techniques in

order to relieve stress and pain, but also to loosen the muscles to
promote healing.

PURPOSE

To TREAT the patient for an injury and to EDUCATE the patient in

certain exercises and techniques in order for part of the treatment
to be continued independently in the home environment.

PERSONAL

Concerned that I wont know where to stand so that the patient can
see me at all times. What is he or she is lying down? What if he or
she is in the head down position? Worried about arriving on time
since the assignment is at an unfamiliar location.

Pre-Assignment DC-S

Interpersonal

Environmental

Environmental

Environmental

DEMAND

RESULTING
DEMAND
May anticipate
incorrectly and
bump into the
therapist.

ALTERNATIVE
CONTROL
Apologize and
ask pay even
closer attention
to what the
therapist is
doing and what
he or she tells
the patient will
be happening
next.

This may or may

not be the
optimal position
according to the
Deaf patient.

This
disempowers
the Deaf
patient.

Ask the patient

directly where he
or she would
prefer the
interpreter to
stand this may
change during
the appointment
depending in
change or
positions for the
Deaf patient.

Maybe the person

has a mustache
or doesnt move
his or her lips
very much,
making lipreading
impossible for
me.
The patient is still
values but the
message is still
being conveyed.
This could cause
the hearing
consumer to feel
alienated and
uncomfortable
since the patient
and interpreter
are signing to
each other and
not telling the
therapist what is
being said.

I am still having
a hard time
focusing and
can hardly
understand the
speaker.

Respectfully let
the therapist
know that you
are having a
hard time
hearing him or
her.

.Interpreters
have to make
booth the
hearing and Def
consumers feel
comfortable and
valued. The
interpreter must
be professional
and focus on
the job at hand.

Tell the Deaf

patient that you
do want to chat,
but could we
please wait until
after the
appointment so
that he or she
doesnt miss any
important
information.

CONTROL

CONSEQUENCE

The area of the

treatment may
be cramped and
the interpreter
could get in the
way of the
therapist.

Pay attention to
where the
therapist is
going and try to
anticipate
where he or she
will go and
adjust where I
am standing.
This is
important so as
not to be in the
way and
interfere with
the patients
treatment.

Anticipation is not
always easy and
could be wrong.

Interpreter
placement in
order to be
visible at all
times.

Ask the mentor

interpreter
where he or she
would suggest I
stand to
interpret.

There could be
music playing in
the background
making it difficult
to hear the
speaker.

Focus on the
speaker,
reading lips if
necessary.

Patient may chat

with the
interpreter
during the
procedure and
the interpreter
may miss what
the therapist is
saying.

Chat with the

patient to
remain polite
and friendly, but
still pay
attention to the
therapist and
stop chatting as
soon as he or
she begins
talking and
interpret that to
the Deaf
patient.

Paralinguistic

Paralinguistic

Paralinguistic

Interpersonal

DEMAND

CONTROL

CONSEQUENCE

RESULTING
DEMAND

ALTERNATIVE
CONTROL

The patient has

been going to
this same
therapist for a
while now. There
could be
instances where
sometimes is
implicit and the
interpreter is
unaware.

Convey the
information
given

The consumer
seems to
understand, so no
clarification is
needed.

This is a Deaf
person that I
have never met
before. The
interpreter is
unfamiliar with
the signing style
of the Deaf
patient and
therefore is
unable to match
the language
needs of the
consumer.

Ask the agency

which method
of
communication
the Deaf
consumer
prefers; ASL,
CASE, SEE, etc.

This may not be

accurate.
Sometimes the
deaf person will
say that he or she
signs ASL, but in
actually it is more
contact signing
or even CASE.

The interpreter
still needs to
match the
language that
the consumer
uses and needs.

Arrive early and

talk to the
consumer and
assess his or her
language and
attempt to
match it.

The patient may

be lying in an
awkward position
that makes
signing difficult
for him or her
and hard to
understand for
the interpreter.

Be ready to
bend over or
turn sideways to
facilitate
communication.

The bending and

moving strategy
doesnt work.

The patient
could still not be
able to see the
interpreter.

The interpreter
could inform
both partied that
while in that
position, the
Deaf patient will
not have the
ability to receive
instruction.
Then ask the
therapist if there
is anything that
needs to be
conveyed to the
patient
beforehand.

This is physical
therapy, so the
patient may
have an injury
making it difficult
to sign.

Watch body
language and
mouth
movements to
assist in
understanding
the signs being
produced.

The interpreter
will be able to
decipher what the
Deaf consumer is
trying to convey
to the therapist.
And so the
interpreter relays
that message.

Intrapersonal
Intrapersonal

DEMAND

CONTROL

CONSEQUENCE

Concerned that I
might be late
due to not being
able to find the
place and/or
there may be a
lot of traffic to
deal with.

Use Google
Maps or the GPS
to see the route
to the
assignment.

Sometimes
Google Maps is
not 100%
accurate. Also, it
doesnt account
for road
construction and
detours.

Anxious about
meeting a new
mentor
interpreter and
making a good
first impression.

Be professional,
friendly and
respectful to all
parties involved.

Everyone will
think highly of the
student
interpreter in
regards to
professionalism
and being
personable.

RESULTING
DEMAND
I need to ensure
I will be on time.

ALTERNATIVE
CONTROL
Find the place a
day or two
before the
assignment so
as to find it
much easier the
day of the
assignment.
This will help me
to arrive on time.