You Don't Want To Get Your CCC's

From an audiology student... And, yes, it's all about ASHA holding onto its power and getting you to pay dues. Million dollar homes in exclusive D.C neighborhoods (Hello, ASHA bosses!) don't come cheap. Link

It is a little ridiculous that in order to graduate, I must meet 1800+ hours working with ASHA certified audiologists. I'm sure there are a lot of audiologists out there that elect against certification who would make quality preceptors for an externship. Having said that, suggesting that non-ASHA audiologists are not allowed to supervise is dead wrong. You DO NOT need your CCC's to work as an audiologist. I am currently a 4th year Au.D. student and my preceptor is not ASHA certified. Choose your clinical sites by experience not off of ASHA certification. There are many wonderful preceptors without their CCC's! Either way you don't want to get your CCC's for many reasons, but in general ASHA is holding our field back. They didn't want us to advance to a doctoral program and they certainly don't want us to stop paying dues.

ASHA's Latest Legal Move

No wonder ASHA loves Obama so much

What do you call it when someone "accepts" their accuser's version of the facts but "disputes" them at the same time? I'd call it typical ASHA double talk - and a very sleazy attempt on the part of ASHA to wriggle out of a very expensive legal battle that is draining ASHA's resources and further damaging their already shaky relationship with audiologists. Take a look at the latest ASHA brief from the ADA lawsuit. Note that this is the wording from ASHA's own legal brief:

"ASHA disputes the factual allegations asserted by Plaintiff in the Second Amended Complaint and will disprove them should this litigation proceed. However, ASHA accepts
Plaintiff’s version of the facts as true for purposes of ASHA’s Motion to Dismiss." (bold added) Link

How about that bag of apples? ASHA disputes and accepts the allegations - all in the same paragraph! In other words, it sounds to me as if ASHA will agree that the ADA's charges are true if doing so will rescue ASHA's butt from this expensive public relations disaster, but that ASHA will dispute the charges if it won't! Whichever version of the truth costs less will be the one that ASHA admits to? This is morality determined by the "bottom line." How comforting to know that ASHA is monitoring the professional ethics of our profession! If ASHA had any character, it would either admit wrongdoing if it did wrong or fight this battle to the end if it didn't. That is, if ASHA had any character. As this blog has repeatedly shown, the version of ASHA presented by its propaganda periodical, The ASHA Leader, does not give the full picture of ASHA.
If ASHA admits to ADA's fraud allegations, we will never let it or its members forget it. ASHA will forever be known on this website as, "ASHA, which admitted in court in 2012 that it accepted charges that it committed fraud against its own members..."

ASHA Watch Diversity Scholarship Awards Applications Now Available!

Applications for the ASHA Watch Diversity Scholarship Awards are now available! ASHA Watch believes that we all benefit from diversity. That's why we are so excited about this opportunity to promote multicultural and ideological diversity in the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)! Thanks to a generous donor, this site is able to celebrate and promote the diversity that is woefully lacking in ASHA. We're awarding two $250 awards and you can request an application and instructions at our email address found on this page (on the right side of this webpage beneath the ABOUT ASHA WATCH heading).

Your request for an application must be from a valid email address and you must include your full name and professional title or your request will be rejected (it's the only way to stop liberal slps and audiologists from sending hate mail and vaguely worded threats; you know how passionately liberals feel about tolerance, acceptance, and open-mindedness. Whoops! Oh, you mean they only believe in tolerance, acceptance, and open-mindedness when it has to do with their side? What a surprise! That  means that liberals love approve of  bullying when they get to be the perpetrators!). Student slps must include their full name and the name of the university/graduate program they are attending. No liberals need apply - ASHA headquarters already has enough of them.

Imagine a world without...ASHA!

ADA Lawsuit Charge: ASHA Conduct "outrageous, done with evil motive or reckless indifference..."

"Outrageous, done with evil motives or reckless indifference to the rights of others," is ASHA's signature M.O. as far as we're concerned. 


The ADA's lawsuit against ASHA continues. 

You can read the latest court document filed on 4/3/12 by clicking here. It may take a few moments to download so be patient. 

Here is a brief section (bold added) from the latest court document.

23. ASHA’s fraudulent conduct was outrageous, done with evil motive or reckless indifference to the rights of others, justifying such relief as the Court deems just and proper to punish ASHA and to deter it from further wrongdoing, including but not limited to a declaration concerning such conduct and requiring ASHA to pay ADA’s reasonable attorney fees and costs in bringing this action.

24. Unless it is required to pay restitution to those who renewed their CCC-A status in reliance on the fraud, ASHA will unjustly continue to enjoy the benefits of its fraud.

Lawsuit Against ASHA - In Brief: ADA Charges Against ASHA

Many people want to know what the lawsuit against ASHA is all about. Hell will freeze over before The ASHA Leader mentions it, so here is a quick and dirty:
According to court documents, the ADA (The Academy of Doctors of Audiology) charged that ASHA
"made false statements" because it was "recognizing the threats to revenues it receives from the CCC-A." In other words, the ADA charged that as a growing number of audiologists jump the expensive, irrelevant, and out-of-touch ASHA ship, "ASHA made false statements to audiologists in order to deceive them into renewing the CCC-A." 
I resigned from ASHA several months ago (on conscientious grounds) and received a bullcrap letter from ASHA similar to the one that the ADA refers to in its lawsuit. I interpreted ASHA's letter to me as an obvious and very lame attempt to intimidate and frighten me out of resigning from ASHA. Fat chance of a sleazy organization like ASHA ever intimidating and frightening me. Now that I am no longer a member of ASHA, it can't even discipline me. 
ASHA members need to be concerned about the skyrocketing legal bills ASHA is running up because of these incidents. ASHA resources are being used to fight legal battles in court rather than promote our professional interests - and it all comes out of your membership dues. 
You can get the full document here. It may take a while to download so be patient. For those who want the essence of the charges, see the following section from the document (bold added). 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA PITTSBURGH DIVISION

ACADEMY OF DOCTORS OF ) AUDIOLOGY,

Plaintiff

vs.

AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE- HEARING ASSOCIATION, Defendant.

11. Audiologists often do not require the CCC-A in order to maintain and grow their practices. That has become increasingly true as the Au.D. has become the publicly-recognized credential for audiologists. Many employers no longer require their

audiologists to hold the CCC-A. Many audiologists do not find value in the CCC-A for their private practices. A substantial number of such audiologists no longer hold the CCC-A.

12. Recognizing the threat to the revenues it receives from the CCC-A, ASHA made false statements to audiologists in order to deceive them into renewing the CCC-A. There were three such false statements: 1) That the CCC-A is required to provide clinical services, 2) That the CCC-A is required in order to provide clinical practicum supervision and/or 3) That the CCC-A is required in order to supervise audiology aides and assistants. These will be referred to hereafter as the False Statements.

13. The False Statements were made in two ways that came to ADA’s attention. First, ASHA sent form letters to audiologists who have either given notice that they wish to cancel the CCC-A or who have failed to renew on time. Examples of these letters are attached as Exhibits 1-3. Second, ASHA made the false statements in a “Q&A” on its website, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 4. On information and belief, the letters were received and relied upon by persons in the Western District of Pennsylvania and the website false statements were seen and relied upon by persons in the same District, as intended by ASHA.

14. The first letter, Exhibit 1, to those canceling, falsely informed them that they “cannot supervise students in clinical practicum or during the clinical fellowship.” According to ASHA, it was sent over the last three years to approximately 150 persons. The second letter, Exhibit 2, to those who had not renewed, falsely warned them that, “You will be prohibited from providing or supervising clinical services.” The third letter, Exhibit 3, was then sent to those who still did not renew, falsely telling them that, “You are no longer able to provide clinical services and/or supervise clinical fellows.” According to ASHA, the Exhibit 2 and 3 letters were used beginning in January of 2011 and were sent to 175 persons (Ex. 2) and then to 93 of those same persons (Ex. 3).

15. On the website, Exhibit 4, page 10 of 11, ASHA falsely stated to potential new audiologists, “Until you receive notification from the National Office that certification has been awarded, you may not present yourself as being certified and you may not provide independent clinical services, or supervise students or audiology aides/assistants.”

16. On information and belief, ASHA also made the False Statements in other ways, with the same intention and effect of deceiving audiologists into believing that they must hold the CCC-A in order to provide clinical services and to supervise students and/or aides and assistants. ASHA created a widespread belief among audiologists that the False Statements were true. On information and belief, some or all of the other False Statements were made to persons in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

17. Audiologists in the Western District of Pennsylvania and throughout the United States were deceived by ASHA’s False Statements and obtained and renewed their CCC-A status when they would not otherwise have done so, because they believed they needed to do so in order to continue to offer clinical services and supervise students, aides and assistants. The fact that 82 persons renewed after receiving the Exhibit 2 letter (and thus did not receive the Exhibit 3 letter) illustrates the point.


Key words: lawsuits against ASHA, ADA, ASHA sued, suing ASHA, CCC-A, ASHA CCC's, ASHA certification, suing ASHA

Keep Updated On ADA vs. ASHA Lawsuit

ASHA in court - again

You can keep up to date on the lawsuit that the Academy of Doctors of Audiology filed against ASHA by going to this link:

Legal Action Against ASHA Updates

 No other professional organization inspires this much anger and hostility in its own members. There is now an army of audiologists and slps who would love to see ASHA toppled.

Since The ASHA misLeader is always silent about ASHA's many - er - issues ("keep 'em stupid and you can lead 'em around as if on a leash," seems to be ASHA's motto), it requires outsiders to keep members informed about this odious organization.

ASHA likes it membership to be like sheep: stupid, docile,
easily fleeced