Speaking and communicating in humans goes back countless generations, but as a science, speech pathology in America is less than a century old. It’s still for all intensive purposes evolving, just like psychology or psychiatry. Throughout this process legislation has been passed, cultural norms have shifted, and methodologies have changed. This means that for professionals in the industry, knowing what to do and how to handle ethical dilemmas is a core aspect of the discipline.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has reported that annually they take in around 3000 inquiries dealing with ethical issues. Here are some reasons to consider online ethics courses for Texas speech pathology:
6 Common Ethical Issues that go before the ASHA
- Perhaps the most common ethical dilemma that speech pathologists face has to do with employer demands.
- It’s also common to hear complaints centering on the use and supervision of assigned supportive personnel.
- Cultural competency plays a big role in the job, and can often cause issues when they are lacking in a colleague or supervisor.
- Financial issues, including compensation or reimbursement for services rendered.
- Often times throughout a career, pathology professionals find themselves in ethical dilemmas that seem to pit their expertise against established business ethics.
- Issues arise in clinical fellowship that focuses on or around supervision.
Additionally, because there’s no need for printed material, typically the cost is substantially reduced versus traditional ethics lecture classes.
Expectations of Online Ethics Courses for Texas Speech Pathology
- The biggest priority is to always advocate for the highest standards and practices.
- When decision making, the best rule of them is to be objective, and employ deductive reasoning rather than emotional content.
- ASHA Code of Ethics is extremely important and should be studied thoroughly from cover to cover.
- Employer handbooks and official guidelines must also be taken into account.
- Bring potential ethical dilemmas out into the open before they fester into a more substantial problem.
- Constantly stay updated on local, state, and federal standards and strict regulations.
Photo Credit: Double-M