02/12/2022
Dear Members:
ASHA issued a statement today strongly urging Brigham Young University (BYU) administration to reverse its decision to deny medical services to transgender clients at its Speech and Language Clinic (https://on.asha.org/3JgogYA).
ASHA’s statement highlights how BYU’s decision is in direct opposition to practice expected of ASHA members and contrary to the ASHA Code of Ethics (2016) as well as The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints’ policies, guidelines, and General Handbook, and the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
The BYU administration’s denial of services to transgender individuals is also not in keeping with ASHA’s values and professional positions. ASHA recognizes voice and communication services for transgender and gender diverse populations as being within the speech-language pathology scope of practice. Every day, SLPs play central roles in clinical settings for gender affirming services. Additional information is available in the ASHA Practice Portal under Voice and Communication Services for Transgender and Gender Diverse Populations (https://on.asha.org/3sxhMOt).
On a related note, the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA), the entity within ASHA that accredits entry-level graduate education programs in the professions, abides by its standards, policies, and procedures to ensure academic programs comply with accreditation standards. The CAA manages complaints against CAA-accredited programs. The CAA Accreditation Handbook (https://on.asha.org/3GE2LPL), Section XIII, outlines the complaints process.
ASHA and National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) will keep members informed of further developments.
