ALTA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct Flashcards

A CALT is providing intensive intervention to a student with dyslexia whose parents are going through a contentious divorce. The mother, who holds primary custody, has signed all consent forms. The father contacts the CALT requesting session notes and progress data, stating he has 'parental rights.' What is the CALT's most appropriate course of action under ALTA ethical guidelines?

Answer: Consult the legal custody agreement and, if it grants the father educational record access, provide records accordingly—while notifying the custodial mother of the disclosure.

ALTA ethics require CALTs to act in the student's best interest while respecting legal frameworks. Legal custody agreements govern record access; non-custodial parents often retain educational record rights under FERPA unless specifically restricted by court order. The CALT should review the custody documentation, comply with any legal entitlements, and maintain transparency with the consenting parent about disclosures made.

A CALT in private practice has been working with a student for 18 months. The family's financial situation changes and they can no longer afford services. The CALT believes the student is at a critical juncture in treatment and discontinuing now would cause significant regression. Under ALTA's Code of Ethics, which response most fully honors the CALT's professional obligations?

Answer: Provide a planned, transitional termination period with appropriate referrals, offer a reduced or sliding-scale arrangement if feasible, and document all efforts to ensure continuity of care.

ALTA ethics prohibit client abandonment and require CALTs to ensure continuity of care during termination. The ethical path involves a planned transition, not abrupt termination. While CALTs are not required to provide indefinite pro bono services, exploring reduced fees demonstrates ethical commitment to student welfare. Referrals must be appropriate, and all actions must be documented to protect both the student and the practitioner.

A CALT is approached by a school district to serve as an expert witness in a due process hearing against a family whose child she evaluated six months ago but never treated. The family's attorney objects, claiming a conflict of interest. Which statement most accurately reflects the ALTA ethical standard applicable here?

Answer: A prior professional relationship—even limited to evaluation—creates an ethical obligation to disclose that relationship; the CALT must assess whether objectivity is compromised and, if so, decline or recuse.

ALTA ethics require vigilance around dual relationships and professional objectivity. Even a prior evaluative—not therapeutic—relationship requires disclosure and careful self-assessment. The CALT is not automatically barred, but must honestly evaluate whether prior contact compromises neutrality. If objectivity cannot be maintained, recusal is required. Blanket prohibitions do not apply, but transparency and the student's welfare are paramount.

A CALT supervising a CALP-in-training discovers that the supervisee has been marketing herself on social media using the credential 'CALT-candidate,' implying certification is imminent. The supervisee has not yet met all ALTA candidacy requirements. What is the supervising CALT's primary ethical obligation?

Answer: Address the misrepresentation directly with the supervisee, require immediate correction of the marketing materials, document the discussion, and determine whether formal reporting to ALTA is warranted based on the supervisee's response.

ALTA ethics create supervisory responsibility for a supervisee's professional conduct. The supervising CALT cannot ignore credential misrepresentation, but the ethical response begins with direct remediation—not immediate formal reporting. The supervisor must require correction, document the incident, and then assess whether the supervisee's response warrants escalation to ALTA. Contacting clients directly would breach confidentiality and is disproportionate as a first step.

A CALT receives a subpoena for a student's complete therapy records in a case unrelated to the student's learning disabilities—the records are sought in a custody dispute. The parents are now divorced; neither parent contacted the CALT about the subpoena. What is the most ethically and legally sound first step?

Answer: Consult with a licensed attorney before responding, assert any applicable privilege on the client's behalf if appropriate, and notify the custodial parent of the subpoena unless doing so is itself prohibited by the court.

A subpoena is a legal demand but does not automatically override confidentiality—it creates a legal obligation to respond, not necessarily to comply without question. Therapeutic records may be protected by privilege, and the CALT has an ethical duty to assert that privilege on the client's behalf if applicable. Consulting an attorney before responding is the correct first step. Destroying or redacting records before production could constitute spoliation of evidence, which is legally and ethically impermissible.

A CALT has been using a structured literacy intervention program for years. A new peer-reviewed meta-analysis concludes that one core component of this program is no more effective than a control condition for students with dyslexia. The CALT reviews the study and believes the methodology is flawed. Under ALTA's ethical obligations regarding evidence-based practice, what must the CALT do?

Answer: Critically evaluate the study within the broader evidence base, consult colleagues and current literature, consider modifying practice if the weight of evidence warrants it, and document the rationale for any decision made.

ALTA ethics require evidence-based practice, which means integrating research evidence with clinical expertise and client factors—not mechanically following any single study. A CALT is not ethically obligated to abandon a program based on one study with potentially flawed methodology, but is obligated to engage seriously with the evidence, consult the broader literature, discuss with colleagues, and document the reasoning behind continued or modified practice. Placing the decision burden entirely on families is an inappropriate abdication of professional responsibility.