Lawyer Monthly - January 2022 Edition

for a state license and national certification by ASHA is an MS or MA degree. Some speech- language pathologists earn a PhD or a clinical doctorate (Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology – DSLP or SLPD). The Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) is awarded by ASHA after completing all educational requirements, clinical clock hours and professional experience requirements, and passing ASHA’s national board examination. What sorts of legal cases are speech- language pathologists typically called to advise on as expert witnesses? Most are medical-legal cases typically involving neurological disorders, such as strokes and TBIs, often with swallowing disorders involved, although any communication or cognitive disorder may become a legal case. School-based speech pathologists are more likely to be involved in fair hearings and other education issues. In what other ways can speech-language pathologists provide important input on a case? Speech-language pathologists can provide valuable information and testimony for either the plaintiff or defence. There is often more than one way to look at a problem, which means that either side may benefit from a speech-language pathologist expert witness. 82 WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | JAN 2022 EXPERT WITNESS People do not know or understand the broad scope and depth of our education and training. Are there any aspects of your specialisation that you would like to make better known, or common misconceptions that you would like to dispel? Since most people are familiar with the terms “speech therapist” and “speech pathologist”, they assume that the profession is limited to working with speech, i.e. articulation problems such as w for r substitutions. People do not know or understand the broad scope and depth of our education and training. They do not know the range of clients and patients we work with and the variety of settings we are in, such as schools, hospitals (acute, subacute and convalescent [skilled nursing facilities – SNFs]), clinics, rehabilitation centres, private practices and universities. It is because of the lack of knowledge and understanding of the education, training, and scope of practice of speech- language pathologists that attorneys do not consider and utilise these professionals as often as they could benefit from their input and testimony. In most cases in which a neurological disorder or impairment occurs in either a child or adult, a speech pathologist can provide valuable testimony. However, not all speech pathologists are necessarily well qualified to serve as expert witnesses. Special qualifications, training, and experience that can help during medical-legal work include having: • An earned doctoral degree (PhD or DSLP) in speech- language pathology; • At least 10 years of professional experience; • A strong background in anatomy and physiology of the