SpeechPathology.com Phone: 800-242-5183


Aya Education - February 2024

Physician's Order for Therapy

Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow

November 16, 2015

Share:

Question

I am a school-based SLP. If I receive a doctor's order for therapy for a student, do I have to provide it?

Answer

No, you do not. The provision of speech-language services in schools is an educational decision, not a medical decision.  The physician has not done the assessment that you have done as a speech-language pathologist.  That physician does not have the ability to observe in the classroom and relate the speech-language impairment back to the educational environment.  By federal law, the decision can only be made by the eligibility team and cannot be made by a single individual, including the child's physician.  However, the physician can serve as an invited member of the team.  Wouldn’t it be great, as we are entering the era of interprofessional practice, if physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants had the time to come and participate in meetings, or even participate by phone?  Certainly, the medical report should be considered by the team, but there is no mandate that it should be followed.  This can be challenging in some areas, because doctors’ orders do apply in another venue (i.e. insurance).  Whether private insurance or public insurance, like Medicaid, the doctor's order is critical.  If you are billing Medicaid for children that you serve in schools, your state Medicaid office is most likely going to require the physician’s order; but that physician’s order does not make the child eligible.  It is just a requirement to meet the Medicaid eligibility requirements.

This Ask the Expert is an excerpt from an article/text course on this topic - view it in its entirety here.


lissa power defur

Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow

Lissa Power-deFur is Professor Emeritus at Longwood University, where she was instrumental in establishing the graduate SLP program and has served as program director, chair, and interim dean. She has worked as a clinician in multiple clinical settings and as a special education administrator. She is an active volunteer for the profession – serving on various committees and boards at both the state and national levels.


Related Courses

Addressing Ethical Challenges Associated with Serving Children with Feeding and Swallowing Disorders in Schools
Presented by Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Video

Presenter

Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Course: #8804Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'Re enforcing the ASHA code of ethics as the reference go to! probably need to reference more often'   Read Reviews
This course will review the incidence of children with feeding and swallowing in schools, the relationship to special education requirements, and common challenges that school-based SLPs face in addressing the needs of these children. It will discuss how to apply an ethical decision-making approach to these challenges, and provide specific ideas for resources to use in approaching the dilemma.

Eligibility Considerations Under IDEA and Section 504
Presented by Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Video

Presenter

Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Course: #9884Level: Intermediate1.5 Hours
  'Great presenter with clear information'   Read Reviews
This course discusses the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 requirements for determining eligibility for services, as contrasted with clinical identification of a communication disorder. It addresses the disproportionate identification of certain racial-ethnic groups as eligible for special education, as well as recent recommendations from the U.S. Department of Education regarding students with long-term Covid.

Health Literacy: Ensuring We Are Understood
Presented by Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Video

Presenter

Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Course: #10305Level: Introductory1 Hour
  'The status of Health literacy in the U S and evidence-based strategies for increasing individuals understanding for using them'   Read Reviews
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has identified that the majority of adults do not have proficient health literacy to understand health information, with some subgroups more adversely impacted than others. The status of health literacy in the U.S., and evidence-based strategies to ensure that information and services match individuals' capacity to understand and use them, are discussed in this course.

Serving as an Expert Witness: It’s in Our SLP Scope of Practice
Presented by Brenda Seal, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Video

Presenters

Brenda Seal, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA FellowLissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Course: #10129Level: Introductory1 Hour
  'I took this course because it was different than the courses I typically take'   Read Reviews
SLPs may be asked to serve as an expert witness without prior experience, training, and/or guidance from our professional literature. This course offers guidance on terminology, procedures, cautions, cases, role plays, and recommendations for successful practice as an expert witness.

Decision-Making: What Science Tells Us About Approaching Ethical Dilemmas
Presented by Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Video

Presenter

Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, ASHA Fellow
Course: #9448Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'Speaker delivery of information, not too slow, not too fast'   Read Reviews
This is Part 1 of a two-part series. This course will review the science of decision-making and how factors such as bias, cognitive dissonance, willful blindness, and “group think” may have an adverse influence on our ability to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions, including ethical decisions. Strategies that can minimize the influence of these factors and create more positive, achievable outcomes will be discussed.

Our site uses cookies to improve your experience. By using our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.