Collaboration, Documentation, and Ethical Practice
Team Collaboration
AT services are delivered by multidisciplinary teams: educators, SLPs, OTs, PTs, audiologists, families, and the person using AT. Effective collaboration uses clear roles, shared goals, and regular communication. The family and the user are central team members, not recipients of decisions. Culturally and linguistically responsive practice matters.
Documentation
Accurate records support accountability and continuity. Document: the AT considered, the rationale for decisions, devices and services provided, training delivered, data on progress, and maintenance/follow-up plans. In IEP contexts, AT devices and services must be described specifically enough to be implemented-not vague phrases like "as needed."
Ethical Practice
Core principles: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, and fidelity. Informed consent, confidentiality, competence boundaries, and avoiding conflicts of interest (e.g., recommending a product you profit from) are essential. Respect the user's preferences and right to refuse.
Traps
- "As needed" documentation that can't be implemented or defended.
- Recommending a device tied to a financial interest.
- Excluding the family or user from decisions.
- Practicing outside one's competence.
Rule of Thumb
If a decision, device, or service can't be described specifically enough for another professional to implement and measure, the documentation isn't finished.