EDC Professional Ethics & Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A diagnostician suspects a colleague is conducting evaluations outside the scope of their license. The most ethical response is to:
- Report it anonymously to an outside agency immediately
- Address the concern with the colleague first, then escalate if necessary (Correct answer)
- Ignore it since it is not your professional responsibility
- Only act if a student is harmed
Correct answer: Address the concern with the colleague first, then escalate if necessary
Professional ethics typically call for addressing concerns directly with the colleague first, then escalating through appropriate channels if the behavior continues.
Question 2: Which standard requires a diagnostician to use assessment tools that are valid and reliable for the specific population being tested?
- Due process
- Appropriate assessment (Correct answer)
- Least restrictive environment
- Child find
Correct answer: Appropriate assessment
The appropriate assessment standard under IDEA requires that evaluation tools be valid, reliable, and technically sound for the student's age, culture, and disability.
Question 3: A parent revokes consent for special education services mid-year. The diagnostician's ethical obligation is to:
- Continue services until the end of the school year
- Honor the revocation and cease services promptly (Correct answer)
- Request a due process hearing before stopping services
- Seek a court order to continue services
Correct answer: Honor the revocation and cease services promptly
Under IDEA, parents have the right to revoke consent for special education services at any time, and the district must honor this request without penalty.
Question 4: The ethical principle of 'nonmaleficence' in educational diagnostics most directly means:
- Actively promoting the student's best interest
- Avoiding actions that cause harm to the student (Correct answer)
- Treating all students with equal respect
- Maintaining accurate records at all times
Correct answer: Avoiding actions that cause harm to the student
Nonmaleficence means 'do no harm,' requiring diagnosticians to avoid practices that could injure a student emotionally, academically, or legally.
Question 5: A diagnostician is asked to testify in a custody hearing using data from a school evaluation. The most ethical response is to:
- Testify freely since the data is factual
- Refuse to participate in any legal proceeding
- Consult legal counsel and clarify the scope of the evaluation before testifying (Correct answer)
- Share only written records, not verbal testimony
Correct answer: Consult legal counsel and clarify the scope of the evaluation before testifying
School evaluations are conducted for educational purposes; testifying in legal proceedings requires careful consideration of scope, consent, and legal guidance.
Question 6: Which of the following actions would violate the ethical standard of professional competence?
- Attending annual professional development workshops
- Administering a neuropsychological battery without specialized training (Correct answer)
- Seeking supervision when encountering an unfamiliar assessment situation
- Referring a student to a specialist when needs exceed your expertise
Correct answer: Administering a neuropsychological battery without specialized training
Administering specialized assessments without adequate training violates the competence standard, which requires practitioners to work only within the boundaries of their expertise.
Question 7: A diagnostician completes an evaluation and determines a student does not qualify for services. The parent requests the raw data. Ethically, the diagnostician should:
- Deny access since raw data is proprietary
- Provide the parent with the raw data as part of the student's records upon request (Correct answer)
- Share only the summary report, not raw scores
- Release data only if the parent signs a waiver
Correct answer: Provide the parent with the raw data as part of the student's records upon request
Under FERPA, parents have the right to inspect and review all education records, including raw assessment data, within 45 days of the request.
EDC Professional Ethics & Standards 3
A diagnostician suspects a colleague is conducting evaluations outside the scope of their license.
The most ethical response is to: