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Balancing Compassion and Professionalism: A Speech-Language Pathologist's Ethical Journey with a Client with Aphasia Student's Name Department, Institutional Affiliation Course Code: Course Title Professor's Name Due Date 1
Balancing Compassion and Professionalism: A Speech-Language Pathologist's Ethical Journey with a Client with Aphasia Angela is a speech-language pathologist working in a local healthcare facility. One of her clients, Ryan, is a successful lawyer who has recently suffered a stroke and has been diagnosed with Broca's aphasia. Due to the condition, Ryan is experiencing difficulties with speaking, writing, and understanding language, which are vital skills for her legal profession. Despite the situation, Ryan is determined to return to his lawyer career. In this scenario, Angela's responsibility as a speech-language pathologist is to provide Ryan with the support he needs to attain his goal. Therefore, Angela must observe Principle II and Rule A of the Code of Ethics by upholding her proficiency and practicing within the scope of her professional training and experience. By following Principle II and Rule A of the Code of Ethics, Angela will be making the Code a living document in her practice and playing a significant role in supporting Ryan's recovery and helping him return to his active career. Ryan's physician informed him that his condition had impaired his ability to speak, write, and understand language. He also experiences difficulties finding the right words and struggles to express his thoughts and ideas clearly. Moreover, he has lost some of his reading and writing skills. Broca's aphasia, a language impairment condition, results from damage to the Broca's area in the brain's frontal lobe, which is responsible for language production, specifically speech and writing (Denslow, 2022). While the condition does not lead to a complete loss of these skills, it negatively affect the career of a lawyer, since reading and writing skills are extremely vital for a lawyer. A lawyer must be able to read, analyze and comprehend complex legal documents, laws, and case opinions to represent their clients efficiently. Further, legal practitioners must also be able to write clear, persuasive, and legally sound arguments in pleadings, motions, and other 2
court documents. These professionals must communicate effectively with clients, witnesses, and other legal experts through writing, such as by email and letters. Despite these difficulties, the patient is determined to recover as much of his language as possible and return to his previous profession. In addressing this case, Angela must consider the principles and rules outlined in the Code of Ethics. She should understand that the Code of Ethics is a foundation for professional practice, providing guidelines and principles aimed to assist her in navigating ethical dilemmas and making informed decisions like in Ryan's case. In her regular interactions with Ryan, Angela discussed his condition at length, given that Broca's aphasia language disorder has affected his career. This situation was even worse since he works in a profession that requires strong language skills. As stated, Broca's aphasia can impair an individual's ability to speak, read, write, and understand language, making it difficult to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, and other professionals. Ryan, a lawyer with Broca's aphasia, is having difficulties in clearly and persuasively expressing himself in court or during client meetings as well as understanding and interpreting legal documents. He also has shortcomings in communicating with colleagues and participating in team meetings or discussions. Overall, the condition has somewhat had an impact to his capacity to perform his job effectively and succeed in his career. Besides the career, the condition has also become emotionally and socially isolating, as Ryan is experiencing difficulty participating in social situations or engaging in meaningful conversations. Therefore, Ryan is emotionally affected and looks up to Angela for an immediate solution. Nonetheless, despite this situation, Angela needs to integrate ethical considerations into decision-making by actively considering the Code of Ethics when faced with dilemmas, such as Ryan's case, to inform her course of action. This direction will provide a proper solution to the case, considering her professional limits. 3
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