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The Wave | June 2026 Issue
Welcome to The Wave, CASLPO’s monthly e-newsletter for registrants! The Wave brings together all of the College's key updates into one easy-to-read format.
In This Issue:
Recognizing Pride MonthJune is Pride Month, a time to celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and reflect on the importance of inclusion, respect, and equity in healthcare.
CASLPO recognizes Pride Month through activities that promote awareness, education, and inclusion. Each year, CASLPO’s website homepage banner and staff email signatures are updated to reflect Pride, we share information on our website and social media channels, and staff participate in internal activities focused on learning and engagement.
These initiatives reflect CASLPO’s ongoing commitment to fostering inclusive environments and supporting equitable, respectful care for all. To learn more about CASLPO’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, visit the DEI section of the CASLPO website.
Developments in Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids: CASLPO Responds to Ontario Consultation and B.C. Expands AccessCASLPO recently submitted a response to the Ontario Ministry of Health’s public consultation on potential changes related to the sale and use of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for adults with a perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.
The consultation is exploring options to allow the sale and use of OTC hearing aids in Ontario. If implemented, these changes would not replace Ontario’s current model of prescription and coverage for hearing aids. Rather, OTC hearing aids would provide an additional option available to some adults with hearing loss. The Ministry will use feedback from the consultation to inform future policy considerations, including any potential legislative changes that would need to occur by the provincial government.
As Ontario considers potential changes, British Columbia recently announced that adults aged 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss may purchase Health Canada-approved OTC hearing aids through retail stores and online sellers. B.C. is the first province or territory in Canada to expand access to over-the-counter hearing aids.
CASLPO’s submission is informed by the recommendations included in the OTC Hearing Aids Task Force report and is grounded in the College’s mandate to protect the public interest while supporting safe, ethical, and competent practice across the professions that we regulate. The submission addresses considerations related to population impacts, safety and effectiveness, and potential risks, and offers recommendations on regulatory oversight to help ensure that any expanded access to OTC hearing aids supports public safety.
As we communicated on May 15, 2026, the Ministry of Health has announced that the Ontario government is directing regulatory colleges, including CASLPO, to begin developing the regulatory framework for future changes to scopes of practice. This follows the Ministry's recent public consultation, which CASLPO shared with registrants in the September 2025 issue of The Wave.
Under this direction, proposed changes would permit SLPs to:
No scope of practice changes for SLPs are currently in effect, and current SLP requirements remain unchanged. In order for these changes to be implemented, provincial legislative amendments will be required. The Ministry of Health would have the lead role in this process, which would also require approval by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Further, no changes are currently proposed to the scope of practice for audiologists.
CASLPO will now begin the work required to support these changes that are within the College’s purview, including developing standards of practice and identifying competency requirements.
Opportunities for registrant input will be shared as this work progresses. Please continue to check our website, newsletter, and social media for updates.
CASLPO announced the 2026 Board election results to registrants via email on May 28, 2026. Following the 2026 Board election, we are pleased to welcome three new Board members and one returning member to the Board of Directors. Their three-year terms began on May 26, 2026.
Angela Weaver, Audiologist – District 1 (Eastern Ontario)
Angela Weaver was re-elected to the Board, having first been elected in 2023. She earned her Master of Clinical Science in Audiology from Western University in 2011 and also holds a Master of Arts in Classical Languages.
Angela currently oversees clinical training and compliance for Costco Wholesale Hearing Aid Centres across Canada and continues to practise as a clinical audiologist in adult hearing and amplification in Ottawa. Prior to joining the CASLPO Board, she served for six years as a director with the Canadian Academy of Audiology.
Julia Luke, Speech-Language Pathologist – District 1 (Eastern Ontario)
Julia Luke joins the Board as a new member representing District 1. She has been a speech-language pathologist for 28 years and has worked with both children and adults across a variety of practice settings.
Currently, Julia works in adult inpatient rehabilitation at Bruyère Health in Ottawa, focusing on dysphagia, communication, and cognitive-communication disorders and also serves as Professional Practice Leader for SLP.
Brian Morassutti, Audiologist – District 3 (Southwestern Ontario)
Brian Morassutti joins the Board representing District 3. An audiologist since 1988, Brian graduated from Dalhousie University and has extensive experience across clinical practice, industry, and leadership roles.
Throughout his career, he has worked with the Canadian Hearing Society, hearing aid manufacturers, and private practice settings, including operating his own clinic, Sound Speech & Hearing, in Owen Sound.
Penney Letsos, Speech-Language Pathologist – District 3 (Southwestern Ontario)
Penney Letsos joins the Board representing District 3. She is currently the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education and a Lecturer in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Western University.
Penney brings extensive clinical experience across multiple healthcare settings and has contributed to the profession through her involvement with CASLPO's Advisory Working Group for the Standards for Supervision of Students of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, as well as numerous local, provincial, and national clinical education committees.
CASLPO congratulates Angela, Julia, Brian, and Penney. We look forward to their contributions to the College's public protection mandate. We also thank all candidates who participated in this year's election and all registrants who took part in the election process.
Thank you to the 271 attendees who joined CASLPO’s recent E-Forum, Culturally Competent Care Provision in Action: Ezhi-gkendaagziyang, presented by Zoe Higgins as part of our DEI webinar series.
During the session, Zoe shared insights into Ezhi-gkendaagziyang (“How We Learn” in Anishinaabemowin), a culturally and linguistically informed communication assessment process developed in collaboration with Dokis First Nation. Participants learned about the importance of relationship-building, community collaboration, and strengths-based approaches to supporting Indigenous children and families.
If you were unable to attend, or would like to revisit the presentation, the recording is now available on the CASLPO website here. The Ezhi-gkendaagziyang booklet and guidebook are also available here.
This E-Forum was scheduled in recognition of National Indigenous History Month, observed each June. CASLPO is recognizing National Indigenous History Month through social media content and by sharing resources that support greater awareness and understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, perspectives, and experiences.
The College also offers Indigenous-focused resources for registrants, including recordings from last year’s two-part E-Forum series, Towards Accountable Action on Equity, Allyship, and Peacemaking in Healthcare. We encourage registrants to explore these and other resources that support Indigenous cultural competency, culturally responsive practice, and truth and reconciliation. These materials can be found under “Additional Resources” in the DEI section of the CASLPO website.
We are seeking speech-language pathologists to participate in three new Advisory Working Groups (AWGs) that will support ongoing regulatory and practice developments.
The groups will help inform the College’s work as we develop a new “Restricted Activities Standard” to replace the current Position Statement: Acceptance of Delegation of a Controlled Act as well as work related to the increased scope of practice for speech-language pathologists.
The three AWGs will be convened to provide expertise and feedback and consider regulatory implications associated with these evolving practice areas:
CASLPO is seeking SLPs who have experience working in one of the areas listed above. The AWGs should represent a variety of patient populations, diverse practice settings, and different geographic regions across Ontario. The Advisory Working Groups are expected to begin their work within the next few months.
If you are interested in participating, please complete the volunteer application form available on the Get Involved with the Professions webpage under “Focus Groups and Consultations.” Once completed, submit the form to [email protected] and indicate which Advisory Working Group you are interested in joining. You can also contact Dana Prutschi at [email protected] for more information.
We encourage registrants with relevant expertise and experience to consider contributing to this important work.
As a CASLPO registrant, you are responsible for ensuring that your information in the Registrant Portal remains accurate and up to date.
This includes your:
Registrants must update their information within 30 days of a change and verify that all information is accurate during the annual renewal process.
Why Keeping Your Information Current Matters
Accurate registrant information supports CASLPO's public protection mandate by helping members of the public find and contact registrants and verify that a registrant's practice aligns with their needs. CASLPO communicates with registrants primarily through email, so it’s important that the College has your current contact information.
Maintaining current information also helps ensure that:
If any of your information has changed recently, please log in to the Registrant Portal and update your record as soon as possible.
Need help? Refer to the Portal Guide for step-by-step instructions on updating your information in the Registrant Portal.
Registrants may wish to review several new and updated resources recently published by Public Health Ontario (PHO) and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC).
PHO has released new guidance on infection prevention and control (IPAC) precautions for hantavirus (Andes virus), developed to support health care providers and public health units based on a rapid review of the latest available evidence. Additional recent PHO resources include Best Practices for Infection Prevention and Control in Long-Term Care and an IPAC Checklist for Animal Presence in Health Care Settings.
The IPC has also updated two resources related to information sharing and privacy obligations:
Registrants are encouraged to review these resources, where applicable to their practice.
Obtaining and documenting consent is a fundamental professional obligation for all regulated healthcare professionals. However, determining who has the legal authority to provide consent for a child can be complex, particularly when parents are separated or divorced. Below are answers to some common questions that we explore in more detail in CASLPO’s recently updated document Frequently Asked Questions: Consent, Custody, and Children.
Q: Do I always need consent from both parents?
A: No. If parents are together, consent from one parent is generally sufficient. However, if separated or divorced parents share joint decision-making responsibility, consent must be obtained and documented from both parents before proceeding with services. You are expected to confirm who has legal decision-making authority before proceeding. Regardless, always ensure all consent discussions are documented.
Q: What if one parent says they have sole decision-making authority but has no documentation?
A: You may proceed if you reasonably believe, in good faith, that the parent has the authority to provide consent. Be sure to document the discussion in the patient health record. However, if you become aware that decision-making authority is shared or disputed, you must obtain further documentation or consent from both parents.
Q: Can a child or youth provide their own consent?
A: Yes. Capacity to consent is not based on age. If a child or youth can understand the proposed services and appreciate the consequences of their decision, they may be capable of providing consent. Registrants should adapt consent discussions to the child's level of understanding and document their assessment.
If the patient is 16 or older and capable of consenting, only they can consent to the collection, use or disclosure of their personal health information unless they have designated a substitute decision-maker. Circumstances can be different for patients below the age of 16.
Q: If separated or divorced parents do not agree to their child’s intervention plan, but one parent consents to services, can I proceed?
A: If one parent has sole decision-making responsibility, their consent is sufficient. If parents share joint decision-making responsibility, both must agree before intervention can begin.
Q: What if someone other than a parent is the child's legal guardian?
A: Consent must be obtained from the individual or organization with legal authority to make decisions on the child's behalf, such as a grandparent with guardianship or a Children's Aid Society representative.
For additional guidance, including more detailed scenarios involving custody arrangements, capacity assessments, and consent disputes, read the full resource: Frequently Asked Questions: Consent, Custody, and Children.
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CASLPO will be hosting a joint E-Forum with other Health Professions Regulators of Ontario (HPRO) Colleges on Intimate Partner Violence on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 12:00 – 1:30 P.M. ET.
More information and the sign-up link will be shared closer to the event.
In keeping with CASLPO’s statutory mandate regarding protecting the public, the College proactively investigates all complaints and reports as well as addresses capacity concerns regarding its registrants. The College also administers disciplinary action when necessary, in matters involving allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence.
You can see the latest discipline decisions in the Discipline section of CASLPO website here.
© 2026 CASLPO
© 2026 CASLPO
This website is intended to provide information to the public and registrants. Should there be difference in documentation previously distributed to CASLPO registrants, it is up to the registrant to source the latest version posted on the CASLPO website. Note: the term "member" and "registrant" are used interchangeably throughout CASLPO's website and documents. Both terms are synonymous with "member" as defined in the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Act, 1991, and the Regulations under those Acts.
