Issues in Ethics: Public Announcements and Public Statements

• About This Document
• Issues in Ethics Statements: Definition
• Introduction
• General Guidelines
• Definitions

About This Document

Published 2025. This Issues in Ethics statement was originally published in 2008 and was last revised in 2018. It has been updated to make any references to the Code of Ethics consistent with the Code of Ethics (2023) (hereinafter, "Code of Ethics"). The Board of Ethics (hereinafter, "BOE") reviews Issues in Ethics statements periodically to ensure that they reflect current practices and the current Code of Ethics.

Issues in Ethics Statements: Definition

From time to time, the BOE determines that members and certificate holders can benefit from additional analysis and instruction concerning a specific issue of ethical conduct. Issues in Ethics statements are intended to heighten sensitivity and increase awareness. They are illustrative of the Code of Ethics and are intended to promote thoughtful consideration of ethical issues. They may assist members and certificate holders in engaging in self-guided, ethical decision-making. These statements do not absolutely prohibit or require specified activity. The facts and circumstances surrounding a matter of concern will determine whether the activity is ethical.

Introduction

In the Code of Ethics, Principle III concerns the responsibility that professionals have to the public. It states that "In their professional role, individuals shall act with honesty and integrity when engaging with the public and shall provide accurate information involving any aspect of the professions." Under this Principle, Rule E specifies that "Individuals’ statements to the public shall provide accurate information regarding the professions, professional services and products, and research and scholarly activities."

Principle III, Rule F specifically addresses ethical concerns relating to advertising: "Individuals' statements to the public shall adhere to prevailing professional standards and shall not contain misrepresentations when advertising, announcing, or promoting their professional services, products, or research." Public communications, statements or announcements of services, products, or publications attributable to individuals should therefore serve to provide accurate and adequate information to aid the public in making informed choices in matters concerning the professions and the services rendered by their practitioners. This general principle and these specific rules must be observed as an affirmative ethical obligation of all individuals, whether those individuals act independently or represent an institution, agency, or organization.

General Guidelines

Announcement of Services in Print or Electronically

Generally, individuals may use as a guide the type of announcement customarily used by other professionals in their local communities. Professional announcements normally include the following: 

• Identification—using appropriate titles. "Audiologist" and "speech-language pathologist (SLP)" are the official titles of professionals in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders (CSD).
• Fees—including fixed prices or a stated range of prices for specified professional services. When additional charges may be incurred for an integral part of the overall service, these additional fees should be stated.
• Qualifications—including certification, licensure, education, experience, and biographical data.
• Services—including specialties or restrictions.
• Location, hours, and contact information—including telephone number, email address, or the URL for relevant websites.
• Staff or associates’ names—including qualifications.

In making information available to the public in print or electronically, which includes social media and blogs, individuals are responsible for fairly and accurately representing their services and the professions; the public must be adequately informed and not misled about the practitioner’s areas of competence or the services that they provide. It is appropriate to list items such as certification, licensure, honorary awards, and accreditation of a graduate academic program by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).

Additionally, individuals should

• describe services, credentials, qualifications, clinical specialty certification, facilities, staff, and products dispensed in a factual, nonevaluative manner; and
• use appropriate, accurate terminology.

Individuals should not

• misrepresent the nature or extent of services provided or products dispensed;
• guarantee the results of any treatment or procedure, directly or by implication;
• list fees in a misleading manner;
• compare their abilities with those of other individuals; and/or
• place "blind" listings (e.g., announcements that say, "Call this number for speech therapy services," omitting the name of the individual, agency, or corporate entity offering services) in the classified section of newspapers or other periodicals (both print and online).

The question of whether it is ethical to use laudatory comments or testimonials from clients/patients is a contested one. Consistent with prevailing regulations protecting client/patient confidentiality—for example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as well as other regulations—the comments of a client/patient should never be used without their explicit permission. There is no question that it is thoroughly unethical to coerce clients/patients into offering laudatory comments, and in the practitioner–client/patient relationship, forms of coercion can be subtle. Consequently, practitioners must take special care to ensure that clients/patients understand their rights with respect to providing information concerning their treatment and their evaluation of that treatment.

Another ethical problem arises when a practitioner uses only complimentary comments to promote their services, when clients/patients have also given the practitioner a multitude of neutral or negative comments. For that reason, the BOE cautions professionals regarding the use of laudatory comments, as they are potentially misleading to the public. The BOE recommends an approach that involves collecting evaluations from a representative sample of all clients/patients and providing a statistical picture from the aggregated evaluations.

Promotional Activities

• In representing their services or professional products to the general public, individuals accept the obligation to present information as objectively and accurately as possible and avoid misleading the public by misrepresentation through implication or deception. Individuals offering free speech or hearing screenings should give those who need further services a choice of referral sources.
• Individuals should avoid participating in any activities that recommend the use of any single-source product or service to the general public.
• Individuals shall not use their affiliation with ASHA or use the ASHA logo to endorse the marketing and promotion of their products or their employer’s products, whether related or unrelated to the professions. ASHA certificate holders may use the approved ASHA logo to promote their ASHA certification credential.

Other Constraints on Advertising

The rules set forth in this statement are offered only as general guidelines for application of the Code of Ethics with regard to public statements and announcements. In addition, individuals may be subject to various state laws such as licensure laws and codes of ethics or conduct. Individuals also may be subject to the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) governing the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. Therefore, individuals must be aware that other restraints in the area of professional advertising—restraints that may be greater than those set forth in this statement. If ASHA guidelines should prove less restrictive in any respect, then individuals must adhere to any higher standards that might be applicable. This statement does not purport to give legal advice in this regard.

Definitions

Individuals: Members and/or certificate holders, including applicants for certification.

Misrepresentation: Any statement by words or other conduct that, under the circumstances, amounts to an assertion that is false, erroneous, or misleadging (i.e., not in accordance with the facts).

Public statement: Any direct or indirect declaration, suggestion, or implication, including but not limited to one that is made orally, in writing, pictorially, electronically, or by any other audio or visual means, or any combination thereof.

Announcement of services: Any written or oral communication, illustration, sign, notice, or depiction—in print or in an electronic medium—that is designed to inform the public about professional services or products related to the CSD discipline.

Legal Disclaimer: The information and materials available through ASHA’s website are for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this document should be construed as legal advice, and your use of the legal information provided on ASHA’s website is not a substitute for legal advice. ASHA has no knowledge of the specific or unique circumstances under which such information may be used by you. Your use of ASHA’s website does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and ASHA or between you and any of ASHA’s employees or representatives.