ab_disorders_supersite|Professional Issues in Speech-Language P|Questions: Paraprofessionals

Home > Professional Issues in Speech-Language... > Questions: Paraprofessionals >

Professional Issues in Speech-Language...
Questions: Paraprofessionals

Paraprofessionals who support activities of an Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist can represent several different levels of expertise and practice. In some cases a person with no formal education in communication or communication disorders may have bilingual skills and life experience that would supplement a clinician's expertise in working with individuals of another culture. Such a person might work as a general aide in a school or agency and act as an interpreter and family liaison. He or she would not be asked to engage in direct treatment or independent counseling activities but would act in concert with the clinician. At another level an individual who has some higher education credits and formal training in basic communication development and disorder foundations might be used to carry out direct treatment activities prescribed by an SLP or Audiologist and closely supervised by that professional. ASHA will institute a voluntary registry for "Speech-Language Pathology Assistants" (SLPA) beginning January 1, 2003. ASHA's Council on Professional Standards in Speech-Language-Pathology and Audiology has developed a set of criteria for the SLPA registration process, including academic curricula and practica requirements. Training programs leading to an Associate's degree are currently in place at over 30 colleges around the United States for such paraprofessionals. In some states individuals with a Baccalaureate degree in Communication Disorders can be employed and even licensed to work as paraprofessionals under the supervision of an SLP. These persons may have more scope in terms of the direct practice activities in which they may engage as long as they work at the prescription and under the supervision of an SLP. Currently, the majority of communication paraprofessionals are employed in educational settings, although medical centers may also use some of their services as well (ASHA, Speech-Language Pathology Assistants FAQ, 2002; see this section's Interesting Web Links page.)

1 .       Which of the following is the supervision guideline for SLPA field experience training that is recommended by ASHA?

2 .       Situation: You are the SLP at Anywhere USA elementary school. You have communicated to the school principal that many more children in the school have been identified as needing your services than you can competently or comfortably serve. The principal agrees that you need help but says no other SLPs are available in the district to help with the caseload. She says that she will hire a full-time paraprofessional to help you and that she will let you know as soon as the person is hired so that you can begin training the person. She and the Guidance Counselor begin to interview people for the position. What is your responsibility in this case?

3 .       Identify which of the following statements describe any advantage that could be gained from the services of a communication disorders paraprofessional.

4 .       What are the ASHA requirements for the SLP who supervises SLPAs?

5 .
Discussion: The junior high school in Anywhere USA has two communication disorders positions. One is held by an experienced SLP and the other by an SLPA who has been employed for two years. The SLP leaves the system to move out of state. The school does hire a new SLP who has just received his Master's degree and completed his Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY). What will be the working relationship between the new SLP and the resident SLPA? Some factors to consider in your discussion:

The SLP is not qualified to supervise the SLPA (see Question #9). Was the SLP acting unethically in accepting the position?

Does ASHA have resources available to help the SLP with his supervision education?

In the meantime, what are the SLP's professional and ethical obligations to the school's population?

How might the SLPA be helpful to the SLP in this process?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

Answer choices in this exercise are randomized and will appear in a different order each time the page is loaded.

Legal and Privacy Terms