Welcome to The Wave!

Welcome to The Wave, CASLPO’s monthly update for registrants! The Wave replaces our semi-annual ex.press newsletter and brings together all of our other key updates into one easy-to-read format.

In This Issue:

• Evidence Reviews: A Simpler, Faster Way to Engage with Quality Assurance
• Reminder: Attend our E-Forum on the New and Revised Practice Standards
• Learning from Recent Tribunal Decisions
• Reminder: Join our December 3rd E-Forum on Addressing Ableism in Healthcare
• Communicating Additional Training: Considerations for Use of Title and Advertising
• Canadian Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Programs Collaborate on Clinical Placements
• Does Accent Bias Impact Speech and Hearing Care?

 

---

 

 

---

 

 

---

Learning From Recent Tribunal Decisions

Staying informed helps strengthen professional practice and accountability

Whether you’re an audiologist or speech-language pathologist, understanding recent regulatory decisions helps reinforce best practices and professional accountability. The following two cases highlight the importance of documentation, responsiveness, and cooperation with the College. These are not just disciplinary outcomes; they offer learning opportunities for all registrants.

CASLPO v. Berge, 2025 ONASLPDT 6
Decision released July 10, 2025

Summary

Brenda Berge, a registered audiologist, was found to have engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional conduct after failing to attend a caution ordered by a panel of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC). She also ignored multiple communications from the College.

The Tribunal proceeded with the hearing in her absence and subsequently revoked her certificate of registration, citing her as ungovernable due to repeated noncompliance and prior disciplinary history.

Key takeaways

• Noncompliance with direction from College Committees can be Grounds for Revocation
  Registrants must comply with directions from College Committees, such as attending cautions. Ms. Berge’s refusal to comply contributed to the panel ordering the most severe penalty — revocation.
• A pattern of misconduct can escalate consequences
  Ms. Berge’s history of repeated use of the Doctor title despite having been directed not to do so, inappropriate conduct, and misuse of social media contributed to the panel’s decision to conclude that Ms. Berge is ungovernable.  

CASLPO v. Bozzo, 2025 ONASLPDT 2
Decisions released January 23 and April 4, 2025

Summary

Emilia Bozzo, a registered speech-language pathologist, was referred to the Discipline Tribunal following concerns about her use of telephone-based swallowing assessments during the early COVID-19 pandemic. The panel found that her choice of assessment method did not constitute misconduct within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she was found guilty of professional misconduct for failing to maintain proper records, failing to collaborate appropriately, and respond to inquiries from both the College and her employer.

Ms. Bozzo received a three-month suspension and a formal reprimand. She was ordered to complete ethics and record-keeping courses, along with a mentorship program. She was also ordered to pay $25,000 in costs over five years.

Key takeaways

• Documentation and responsiveness are core professional duties
  Ms. Bozzo’s failure to maintain records and respond to regulatory inquiries was found to be serious professional misconduct. The panel emphasized that poor documentation can undermine patient care and professional accountability.
• Failure to cooperate can carry significant consequences
  Ms. Bozzo’s repeated delays, lack of response, and refusal to engage properly with the College’s investigation were central to the professional misconduct findings and led to significant penalties.

These cases serve as an important reminder that accountability, transparency, and cooperation are the foundation of self-regulation. Maintaining clear records, responding promptly, and following College direction are essential to upholding the integrity of the professions and protecting the public.
 

---

 

 

---

 

Communicating Additional Training: Considerations for Use of Title and Advertising

Continuing to learn and grow is an important part of every health care professional’s practice. Whether it’s for the purposes of meeting regulatory requirements, like the annual SAT, developing new skills, or expanding the services your clinic offers, ongoing education helps support quality care and professional growth.

Sharing information about your additional training or certifications with colleagues, patients, and prospective patients, can help build trust in your professional knowledge and clinical skills. Employers may want to highlight this training to help patients understand your role. In all cases, it’s important that communications about additional training or certifications are compliant with CASLPO’s Practice Standards.

Some Ontario health regulators, such as those for physicians or dentists, offer what are called specialty certificates. These certificates show that a professional has completed additional coursework, practica, certifying programs/certifying exam, and/or a mentorship program. Specialty certificates communicate to members of the public that a registrant is recognized as having the knowledge, skill, and training to provide services that meet practice standards in a focused area of practice (e.g., family medicine).  

CASLPO does not designate specialty certificates. This means audiologists and speech-language pathologists cannot use terms that could make it seem like they are “experts” or “specialists” in a focused area of practice as part of their professional title or advertising. Examples include phrases like pediatric specialist, tinnitus expert, or dysphagia specialist.

Many of CASLPO’s registrants complete advanced training throughout their careers. Audiologists may have had additional training in dizziness intervention, tinnitus management, cochlear implant fitting, cerumen management, or the assessment and treatment of children. Speech-language pathologists may have had additional training in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), early language development, motor speech, stuttering, swallowing or voice.

You can share this learning with your patients and community; however, it needs to be communicated clearly and with care. It’s appropriate to display certificates in your clinic, talk with patients about your additional training, or include a description of your education and training on your clinic’s website. You can also indicate a practice focus in a specific area, such as “focus on tinnitus management services” or “focus on swallowing disorders”, in your signature line or other identifiers used in the office.

When describing your training in advertising or online, choose your words thoughtfully. Do not use terms like “expert” or “specialist” in relation to an area of practice (e.g., tinnitus expert, swallowing specialist, authority on bone-conduction implants). These terms may suggest superiority to your peers or a specialty certificate (see Standard 4 of the  Advertising Practice Standards).

Sharing your professional learning is a great way to help patients understand your knowledge and focus areas. Just remember to communicate it in a way that’s accurate, transparent, and consistent with CASLPO’s standards.

 

---

 

Canadian Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Programs Collaborate on Clinical Placements

Canadian graduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology have recently finalized a refreshed agreement intended to strengthen support for students completing their clinical placements. This collaboration builds on ongoing efforts to prepare the next generation of professionals in our fields. Five of the 12 universities participating in this national initiative are based in Ontario.

Under this arrangement, the programs collaborate to identify clinical placement opportunities across defined regions. Each university recruits, develops, and coordinates placements within their designated region. When a student requests a placement outside of their school’s catchment, the coordinator for their school follows a process to request support from the corresponding program. This collaborative approach helps ensure that all students have access to practical experiences that enable them to achieve the clinical competence as required by the curriculum. In alignment with this approach, the programs have collaboratively agreed to the implementation of the Canadian Assessment of Clinical Competence (ACC) tool, which focuses on assessing students’ ability to demonstrate integrated, practice-ready competencies.

Currently, nearly one in five CASLPO registrants actively contribute to clinical education in speech-language pathology or audiology programs. As programs expand and the demand for student placements continues to rise, there remains a critical need for clinicians who are committed to shaping the next generation of professionals. Serving as a clinical educator offers an opportunity to share expertise, remain engaged with emerging practices, and make a significant impact on the advancement of the professions.

If you are interested in becoming a clinical educator, we encourage you to connect with an Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education listed below, nearest you. For more information about the placement regions of each university, please contact the university programs.

Contact Information 

• Laurentian University: Chantal Mayer-Crittenden ([email protected]) and Alexandra Fleury-Catterall ([email protected])   
• McMaster University: Ashley Waito ([email protected])  
• University of Ottawa: Tanya McDonald ([email protected]) and Veronic Quann ([email protected])   
• University of Toronto: Susan Wagner ([email protected])  
• Western University: Penelope Letsos ([email protected]) and Chris Allan ([email protected]) 

 

---