Ethics in stuttering treatment in the schools: issues and intersections

When the challenges of providing speech-language pathology services in school settings intersect with the complexities of meeting the unique needs of students who stutter, clinicians may encounter a variety of ethical issues. This article explores some of the ethical challenges of treating stuttering in school settings by discussing three clinical scenarios. Seedhouse's Ethics Grid is provided as a scaffold to support the critical analysis of school-based stuttering treatment issues. Factors examined include creating and respecting autonomy, serving student needs, doing good and minimizing risks, and telling the truth and keeping promises. In addition, clinical outcomes are considered in terms of their impact on students and family members, clinicians, students with communication disorders other than stuttering, and school personnel. Finally, some of the practical concerns when treating stuttering in school settings are discussed, including the law, codes of practice, wishes of others, as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of actions.