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Abstract: Approve the document entitled "Knowledge and Skills Needed by Speech-Language Pathologists Providing Services to Individuals With Swallowing and/or Feeding Disorders"
RESOLVED, That the document entitled "Knowledge and Skills Needed by Speech-Language Pathologists Providing Services to Individuals With Swallowing and/or Feeding Disorders" be approved as policy of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; and further
RESOLVED, That "Knowledge and Skills Needed by Speech-Language Pathologists Providing Services to Individuals With Swallowing and/or Feeding Disorders" be published in the next annual Supplement to The ASHA Leader and that it be posted on the professional Web site, be made available upon request from the ASHA Action Center and Fax-on-Demand, and be included in the next revision of the ASHA Desk Reference; and further
RESOLVED, That the 1990 Guidelines entitled "Knowledge and Skills Needed by Speech-Language Pathologists Providing Services to Dysphagia Patients/Clients" be rescinded and replaced by this document.
RATIONALE: This document represents the work of the ASHA–Special Interest Division 13 (Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders) Dysphagia Document Revision Working Group, which reviewed existing policy documents on dysphagia and revised those in need of updating. Since the previous document, "Knowledge and Skills Needed by Speech-Language Pathologists Providing Services to Dysphagia Patients/Clients," was published in 1990, the Working Group determined that the knowledge and skills needed to be updated to reflect current practice.
Current knowledge and skills policy documents are in high demand by ASHA members for several reasons. Members in clinical practice and in administrative positions seek national practice policies on which to base their clinical services, staff development, or competency assessment programs. These documents also reflect ASHA’s commitment to set high knowledge and skill requirements for certified speech-language pathologists. The document can be used in advocacy with payers or with other professionals and consumers as needed. Finally, institutions providing health care frequently require documentation of competency to comply with standards of accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Facilities (JCAHO); knowledge and skills policy statements form a useful basis for developing these competencies.
OUTCOME(S): This policy document updates ASHA's official position with regard to the knowledge and skills needed to treat individuals with swallowing and/or feeding disorders. It provides a basis for competency assessment programs developed by ASHA members for their professional practice, and it informs external audiences about the knowledge and skills ASHA expects of its members.
BUDGET IMPACT: Funds for the publication and dissemination of this knowledge and skills document are already included in the operating budget of the Association.
PROGRAMMATIC IMPACT: Approval of this document will update ASHA’s official practice policies with respect to knowledge and skills needed to treat individuals with swallowing and/or feeding disorders.
If the resolution is not passed, ASHA will continue to operate with an outdated knowledge and skills document that does not reflect changes in this area of practice, particularly the increasing amount of service delivery to the pediatric population.
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