2009 Student Ethics Essay Award - 3rd Place

Overcoming Professional Challenges in the Field of Speech-Language Pathology: A Lifelong Commitment

By Victoria Hatzelis
Teachers College, Columbia University
New York, New York
NSSLHA Chapter Advisor: Elise M. Wagner

Having been declared a professional discipline in 1925, speech-language pathology is a relatively new, and quickly evolving, field. As a result, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) must strive to demonstrate an excellent caliber of ethical principles among each other, and among allied health professionals. This can be achieved primarily by adhering to the ASHA Code of Ethics, the guideline enforcing professionalism in various contexts in the field of speech-language pathology.

In our discipline, we face the challenge of assessing and evaluating linguistically and culturally diverse individuals in a non-biased manner. Essentially, we must be sensitive in considering that mainstream American culture does not apply to numerous citizens of this country. For example, a different narrative style or morphological pattern may simply represent an individual's cultural difference, not a disorder. Before we can apply this principle to the clients we serve, however, we must be able to show the same open-mindedness and sensitivity towards other professionals. In addition to race and culture, we must be cognizant and respectful towards a colleague's age, gender, religion, sexual orientation and disability (ASHA Code of Ethics, Principle IV, Rule H). It is only in practicing these principles in all contexts that we may be able to apply them successfully to the clients we serve.

Subsequently, in various employment settings, SLPs find themselves working with or for professionals who hold a prestigious and highly regarded position (such as a medical doctor). For a new clinician especially, this may be an intimidating position to be in, since we do not have the same knowledge and experience. Nonetheless, we must remember that within our scope of practice, we are the professionals. While we should certainly listen to the opinions of our colleagues, striving to learn about the allied professions, we must ultimately express and exercise our professional judgment. Challenging though it may be, we must not be intimidated by a referral source and provide services we do not believe are warranted (ASHA Code of Ethics, Principle IV, Rule G). Instead, we must have an active voice to ensure that our clients receive the highest quality of care possible. To do otherwise would be undermining our own profession, and the collaborative relationship we share with other professionals.

Furthermore, we must be aware that professionalism is not something that ends when the workday is over; instead, this should be our constant goal in all aspects of our daily lives. This is because a clinician's success is largely determined by his/her personality and ethical standards. More than likely, most individuals attracted to this discipline are compassionate and caring, truly wanting to make a difference in a person's life. If we begin to dabble in fraud on weekends, however, this will certainly have a negative effect on our ethical standards. SLPs should appear to be, and genuinely strive to be, ethically sound persons. If our behavior is laden with dishonesty, sexual harassment and fraud, we will certainly not be in a position to provide others with professional services. (ASHA Code of Ethics, Principle IV, Rule B). When in doubt, we should consider if we ourselves would want to receive services from a professional who engages in such activities. The answer will certainly be "no, thank you."

Finally, apart from monitoring our own behaviors, we must be aware of the behaviors of our fellow speech-language pathologists. If we believe that a colleague is not abiding by the Code of Ethics, it is our responsibility to notify someone on the Board of Ethics. (ASHA Code of Ethics, Principle IV, Rule I). While taking such a step would certainly not be easy, the repercussions of turning a blind eye could be grave. Ultimately, we must be thinking of the clients we serve to ensure that they are getting the highest level of care. If a fellow colleague is partaking in unethical activities, this could potentially harm the relationship between SLPs and allied professionals, the dynamic and effectiveness in the workplace, and most importantly, our clients. Without being intrusive, we must be aware of the activities taking place in our surroundings so that we may identify potential cause for concern.

As evidenced through the examples above, professionalism is not simply a state of being in the workplace; it is a lifelong commitment to personal amelioration and growth. We must respect and work collaboratively with allied professionals, while remembering the worth of our own professional judgment. In addition, we must strive to be models for ethical behavior in our daily lives, as this will inevitably impact our effectiveness as clinicians. Finally, we must keep our eyes open to the behavior of our colleagues, with the ultimate goal of ensuring quality client care. To achieve all of these goals will be a challenge; one that is lifelong, in fact. However, it is a challenge that speech-language pathologists should approach with an attitude of open-mindedness, strength and conviction.