The NCSHLA Code of Ethics

Corporate Members, as well as all professional members, of the North Carolina Speech, Hearing and Language Association (NCSHLA) are expected to observe the Code of Ethics established by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and NCSHLA. While all the principles and rules are considered essential in preserving the highest standard of professionalism, several are excerpted below to serve as a reminder of the responsibilities to be upheld by all members, Corporate and individual. The full text of the Code of Ethics is available from the NCSHLA Central Office.

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Principle of Ethics I (ASHA) - Members shall honor their responsibility to hold paramount the welfare of persons they serve professionally.

1. Members shall not discriminate in the delivery of professional services on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, age religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
2. Members shall fully inform the persons they serve of the nature and possible effects of services rendered and products dispensed.
3. Members shall evaluate the effectiveness of services rendered and of products dispensed and shall provide services or dispense products only when benefit can reasonably be expected.
4. Members shall maintain adequate records of professional services rendered and products dispensed and shall allow access to these records when appropriately authorized.
5. Members shall not charge for services not rendered, nor shall they misrepresent, in any fashion, services rendered or products dispensed.
6. Members whose professional services are adversely affected by substance abuse or other health-related conditions shall obtain professional assistance and, where appropriate, withdraw from the affected areas of practice.

Principle of Ethics III (ASHA) - Members shall honor their responsibility to the public by promoting public understanding of the professions, by supporting the development of services designed to fulfill the unmet needs of the public, and by providing accurate information in all communications involving any aspect of the professions.

1. Members shall not participate in professional activities that constitute a conflict of interest.
2. Members shall not misrepresent diagnostic information, services rendered, or products dispensed, or engage in any scheme or artifice to defraud, in connection with obtaining payment or reimbursement for such services or products.
3. Members' statements to the public -- advertising, announcing or marketing their professional services, reporting research results, and promoting products -- shall adhere to prevailing professional standards and shall not contain misrepresentation.

Principle of Ethics IV (ASHA) - Members shall honor their responsibilities to the professions and their relationships with colleagues, students, and members of allied professions. Members shall uphold the dignity and autonomy of the professions, maintain harmonious inter-professional and intra-professional relationships, and accept the professions' self-imposed standards.

1. Members shall prohibit anyone under their supervision from engaging in any practice that violates this Code of Ethics
2. Members shall not engage in dishonesty, fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or any form of conduct that adversely reflects on the professions or on the member's fitness to serve persons professionally.
3. Members shall assign credit only to those who have contributed to a publication, presentation, or product. Credit shall be assigned in proportion to the contribution and only with the contributor's consent.
4. Members' statements to colleagues about professional services, research results, and products shall adhere to prevailing professional standards and shall contain no misrepresentations.
5. Members shall not discriminate in their relationships with colleagues, students, and members of allied professions on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
6. Members who have reason to believe that the Code of Ethics has been violated shall inform the ASHA Ethical Practice Board.
7. Members shall cooperate fully with the ASHA Ethical Practice Board in any investigation and adjudication of matters related to the Code of Ethics.