ASL Professional Ethics & Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An ASL instructor discovers a colleague is misrepresenting their certification level to students. What is the ethical course of action?
- Ignore it to avoid conflict
- Report the misrepresentation to the appropriate professional body (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague publicly in class
- Tell students directly without involving administration
Correct answer: Report the misrepresentation to the appropriate professional body
Professional ethics require reporting credential misrepresentation to the relevant credentialing or professional organization to protect students and the field.
Question 2: Which principle guides an ASL instructor who must adapt their teaching style for a student who is both deaf and blind?
- Apply the same methods used for all deaf students
- Refuse instruction as it is outside the ASL scope
- Apply inclusive, individualized instruction respecting the student's unique communication needs (Correct answer)
- Refer the student only to a specialist without any personal support
Correct answer: Apply inclusive, individualized instruction respecting the student's unique communication needs
Ethical instructors adapt instruction to meet each learner's unique needs, including those with combined disabilities, using appropriate tactile and individualized methods.
Question 3: A student shares personal struggles during a private tutoring session. How should an ASL instructor handle this information?
- Share it with other instructors to get advice
- Maintain confidentiality unless there is a safety concern (Correct answer)
- Post about it anonymously online
- Document it in the student's public portfolio
Correct answer: Maintain confidentiality unless there is a safety concern
Confidentiality is a core ethical obligation; an instructor may only breach it if the student's safety or the safety of others is at risk.
Question 4: What does 'informed consent' mean in the context of an ASL classroom?
- Students automatically agree to all class activities by enrolling
- Students are made aware of and agree to specific activities, recordings, or research uses before participation (Correct answer)
- Instructors have consent to use any teaching method they choose
- Parents must consent for all adult students
Correct answer: Students are made aware of and agree to specific activities, recordings, or research uses before participation
Informed consent requires that students receive clear information about activities—especially recording or research—and voluntarily agree before participation.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes professional boundaries in an ASL instructor-student relationship?
- Becoming close friends with all students to build rapport
- Maintaining appropriate emotional and social limits to protect the instructional relationship (Correct answer)
- Sharing personal opinions on all topics to seem relatable
- Limiting all communication strictly to signed language only
Correct answer: Maintaining appropriate emotional and social limits to protect the instructional relationship
Professional boundaries protect both the instructor and student by keeping the relationship focused on learning and preventing conflicts of interest.
Question 6: An ASL instructor is asked to interpret for a student in a non-instructional setting without compensation. What ethical consideration applies?
- Instructors should always interpret for free to support the Deaf community
- Role boundaries matter; teaching and interpreting are separate professional roles with different ethical obligations (Correct answer)
- Accepting is fine as long as the student asks nicely
- This is mandatory under ADA law for all ASL instructors
Correct answer: Role boundaries matter; teaching and interpreting are separate professional roles with different ethical obligations
ASL instructors and certified interpreters have distinct professional roles; conflating them can compromise ethics, quality, and professional accountability.
Question 7: How should an ASL instructor respond if a student submits work that appears to be copied from a peer?
- Give the student a warning with no further action
- Follow institutional academic integrity policies and document the incident (Correct answer)
- Ignore it if the student is otherwise performing well
- Publicly shame the student as a deterrent for others
Correct answer: Follow institutional academic integrity policies and document the incident
Academic integrity violations must be addressed through established institutional procedures to ensure fairness, due process, and consistent standards.
ASL Professional Ethics & Standards 2
An ASL instructor discovers a colleague is misrepresenting their certification level to students.
What is the ethical course of action?