JAHS Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) Brigham Young Could Lose Accreditation Over Transgender Speech Services Brigham Young University stopped offering transgender speech adaptation services and could lose its accreditation over the move, The College Fix reports. In February, the private school in Utah, which is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, decided to end gender-affirming speech therapy classes for transgender people, saying that providing such services doesn’t align with the church’s teachings. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, BYU, in a memo to faculty, said it will not assist in speech therapy to support an individual's vocal transition to a sex not assigned at birth. After the school's decision, the Council of Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), launched an investigation into whether BYU will continue to be accredited, according to the Fix. Though "members and nonmembers who identify as transgender — and their family and friends — should be treated with sensitivity, kindness, compassion, and an abundance of Christlike love," the church opposes gender transition, the college news outlet reports. As a private church-funded institution, BYU is exempt from federal laws prohibiting gender-based discrimination, the Tribune reports. BYU also has an exemption for "health and insurance benefits and services" that applies to its campus clinics, which means the school can choose to deny care based on a person's identity. Despite the threat of losing its accreditation, BYU is standing by its decision. "Although the Department of Communication Disorders is no longer providing gender-affirming voice and communication services, it has made the three students impacted by this change aware of other providers," BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins told the Tribune. In order to be certified by ASHA upon graduation, pathologists are supposed to be trained to work with every type of client and be versed on the different kinds of therapies, including gender-affirming services. The organization released a statement in February, saying BYU's decision was "in direct opposition to practice expected" of accredited schools. "BYU is putting its certified speech-language pathologists (CCC-SLPs) in an untenable position," the statement read. "These employees are now being directed to act in a manner contrary to their responsibilities under the ASHA Code of Ethics." It urged the school to reinstate its gender-affirming vocal therapy program immediately. Edited July 14, 2022 by JAHS Edited to clarify the title Link to comment
Calm Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 For the speech pathology program only, correct? Not the whole university. Link to comment
JAHS Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 53 minutes ago, Calm said: For the speech pathology program only, correct? Not the whole university. Sounds like it's for the whole university, but I doubt that will ever even get close to happening. Link to comment
Calm Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) Quote In order to be certified by ASHA upon graduation, pathologists are supposed to be trained to work with every type of client and be versed on the different kinds of therapies, including gender-affirming services. This sounds like it is the program. And I think they have a point if they intend their certification to include gender affirming speech therapy. Not sure how to reconcile. Edited July 13, 2022 by Calm 1 Link to comment
JAHS Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 9 hours ago, Calm said: This sounds like it is the program. And I think they have a point if they intend their certification to include gender affirming speech therapy. Not sure how to reconcile. I think you are right . This article gets more specific about the speech program being under investigation https://religionnews.com/2022/04/07/byu-under-accreditation-investigation-after-canceling-speech-therapy-services-for-transgender-clients/ 1 Link to comment
bluebell Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 So it's not that the whole school could lose accreditation but that the speech program could lose it? That makes sense. If BYU believes that it can't morally provide those services then it should lose that accreditation (or better, simply stop providing that program as an option). I do feel really bad for the students who are currently enrolled and now have to worry about this. 2 Link to comment
JAHS Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 1 hour ago, bluebell said: So it's not that the whole school could lose accreditation but that the speech program could lose it? That makes sense. If BYU believes that it can't morally provide those services then it should lose that accreditation (or better, simply stop providing that program as an option). I do feel really bad for the students who are currently enrolled and now have to worry about this. They did say they are “providing resources for the affected individuals to assist them in receiving gender affirming voice services from another provider.” So I guess there are other places that can provide the same kind of service. Link to comment
bluebell Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 1 hour ago, JAHS said: They did say they are “providing resources for the affected individuals to assist them in receiving gender affirming voice services from another provider.” So I guess there are other places that can provide the same kind of service. Sure. I'm talking about those students who are currently in the speech program trying to get a degree when their degree program might lose accreditation. That would be super stressful as a degree from a non-accreditation program would be practically useless. I hope they can figure out a solution to help those students in that predicament. 1 Link to comment
JAHS Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 18 minutes ago, bluebell said: Sure. I'm talking about those students who are currently in the speech program trying to get a degree when their degree program might lose accreditation. That would be super stressful as a degree from a non-accreditation program would be practically useless. I hope they can figure out a solution to help those students in that predicament. Well it hasn't happened yet and I think the fact that BYU is a private religious school and it was a religious based decision to discontinue the services, they may be able to avoid losing the accreditation. Link to comment
bluebell Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 1 hour ago, JAHS said: Well it hasn't happened yet and I think the fact that BYU is a private religious school and it was a religious based decision to discontinue the services, they may be able to avoid losing the accreditation. But if that skill is required to get that degree, then they should lose their accreditation though if they can't offer their students a way to learn that skill. 1 Link to comment
Rain Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 7 hours ago, bluebell said: But if that skill is required to get that degree, then they should lose their accreditation though if they can't offer their students a way to learn that skill. My understanding was that few schools provided it so it shouldn't really matter. Has that changed? Is it now being required? 2 Link to comment
bluebell Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 10 hours ago, Rain said: My understanding was that few schools provided it so it shouldn't really matter. Has that changed? Is it now being required? I have no idea. I was going off of the quote that Calm shared about what it takes to be certified- Quote In order to be certified by ASHA upon graduation, pathologists are supposed to be trained to work with every type of client and be versed on the different kinds of therapies, including gender-affirming services. A degree program where you can't be certified in that field after graduating seems kind of useless. Link to comment
JAHS Posted July 14, 2022 Author Share Posted July 14, 2022 17 minutes ago, bluebell said: A degree program where you can't be certified in that field after graduating seems kind of useless. If they do need that training to be certified, I wonder if they can get it somewhere else and that plus the degree from BYU would be sufficient? 1 Link to comment
carbon dioxide Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 (edited) This thread is click bate. BYU might lose its accreditation but then no, just a minor program offered by BYU. Not sure how many students would be affected by this but I am sure the number is small. "Though "members and nonmembers who identify as transgender — and their family and friends — should be treated with sensitivity, kindness, compassion, and an abundance of Christlike love," the church opposes gender transition" Gender or sex is eternal. Decided billions of years before we were born and we remain the same gender billions of years into the resurrection. One can not transition from one gender to another just as one can't transition from a human to a fish. Better to lose an accreditation than compromise principle. Edited July 14, 2022 by carbon dioxide Link to comment
Rain Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 24 minutes ago, JAHS said: If they do need that training to be certified, I wonder if they can get it somewhere else and that plus the degree from BYU would be sufficient? That's the thing. My understanding was that you can get that kind of training at very few schools. That there is so much that goes into speech that schools can't provide training for everything so they focus on the more common problems and then maybe pick a couple of the less common ones. If BYU is being targeted and it is not required still then it would only be because they were open about the idea that they weren't going to provide it even though others schools don't do it either. @juliann is my understanding how it works correct? 1 Link to comment
Calm Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 (edited) These are master programs that have promoted their gender affirming training, 47 if I counted correctly. Perhaps there are more that have classes, but have not publicized it for some reason. Masters are required to be a pathologist, bachelors will allow you to be an assistant. https://speechpathologymastersprograms.com/resources/transgender-voice-therapy/ Here is a list of master speech pathology programs, if I kept track properly 266. https://www.speechpathologygraduateprograms.org/caa-accredited-slp-graduate-programs/#california So yes, would be strange if they pulled it because they didn’t offer something the majority of programs (about 80%) didn’t. Here is another list of master programs…https://speechpathologymastersprograms.com/speech-pathology-programs/ that may use a different accreditation standard, didn’t look for it though. Edited July 14, 2022 by Calm 1 Link to comment
juliann Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 4 hours ago, Rain said: That's the thing. My understanding was that you can get that kind of training at very few schools. That there is so much that goes into speech that schools can't provide training for everything so they focus on the more common problems and then maybe pick a couple of the less common ones. If BYU is being targeted and it is not required still then it would only be because they were open about the idea that they weren't going to provide it even though others schools don't do it either. @juliann is my understanding how it works correct? First, ASHA has managed to corner certification. You need it. Like teacher's unions, ASHA has gone far left and forces clinicians to pay dues to keep those credentials, even though they have been earned. They spend a lot of money on themselves and it is one of those inbred orgs, where continuing education units are given for approved expensive seminars of those in their ranks. This means that you get some strange conferences riddled with opinion...and where the presenter also sells books and materials through ASHA. I despise them. They set up rules that make it harder, they have never seemed to be there to help the individual clinicians. That said, you take courses in a University program, you cannot possibly have hands on practice in every disorder. Nor could you take every course. First, they are dependent on people who come in for services. So there seems to be two pieces, they are going after them for not providing service to people seeking it, and not providing clinical experience to students. Which is nuts, you can't be proficient in everything because therapy runs the gamet from private clinical, hospital, and school services. There is voice, swallowing, language (including reading), articulation, dysfluency....with a myriad of disorders running through all that, such as autism, CP, Downs, aphasias, etc. You pretty much get let loose and learn on the job. To really learn voice, for example, you would have to be in a clinic or hospital where those patients come in. The only voice I did in schools was vocal nodules. T If I had an objection to gender voice therapy, it would be over the safety in lowering or raising natural pitch. Normally, therapy would try to fix that not create it. So take the gender verbiage out, and this is a part of voice therapy anyway. But this is a typical chest thumping ASHA move. They would also be very concerned about shutting down a big program like that. It is next to impossible to get into the Masters programs. There aren't enough of them. This would hurt ASHA as much as the university because they need the extorted yearly dues. It also seems like a huge lawsuit because they don't require clinical experience in all fields for anybody so I would think they would have to the same rule for all disorders, not just pick one. 3 Link to comment
JAHS Posted July 14, 2022 Author Share Posted July 14, 2022 5 hours ago, carbon dioxide said: This thread is click bate. BYU might lose its accreditation but then no, just a minor program offered by BYU. Not sure how many students would be affected by this but I am sure the number is small. I didn't mean for it to be click bait. The original article I got the information from was not really clear to me that it was only the department. Other articles turned out to be more clear on that point. 3 Link to comment
Calm Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 You can change the title by editing your post just as usual if you want. Link to comment
JAHS Posted July 14, 2022 Author Share Posted July 14, 2022 12 minutes ago, Calm said: You can change the title by editing your post just as usual if you want. Thanks. Edit was made. I didn't think the title could be edited but I guess that changed so it could be. Link to comment
JAHS Posted July 15, 2022 Author Share Posted July 15, 2022 (edited) UPDATE: BYU speech program keeps accreditation after cutting transgender services SALT LAKE CITY, July 14 (UPI) -- A review has determined that Brigham Young University's master's program in speech-language pathology remains in compliance with accreditation standards after ending gender-affirming services for transgender clients. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a national professional organization, had issued a statement that a decision by BYU earlier this year to end the services at its speech-language clinic "is in direct opposition" to the practice expected of its members. The BYU program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, a semi-autonomous body of ASHA. The council launched a review of the complaint in the spring. On Thursday, BYU provided UPI with a copy of a letter it had received from Gale Rice, CAA chair, saying the council will not investigate the "adverse information" it had received about the speech-language program. "After considering all submitted documentation, the CAA determined that, in reference to the situation the adverse information described, the program remains in compliance with CAA's Standards for Accreditation," the letter says. BYU, which is located in Provo, Utah, and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had decided that providing the services was not consistent with guidelines telling church leaders to "counsel against social transition." Transgender clients use the vocal training to make their voices reflect their gender identity. BYU has religious exemptions under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools, because it is owned by a church. Title IX does not apply to an educational institution that is controlled by a religious organization when application of the law would be inconsistent with its religious tenets. In a letter responding to the ASHA statement, C. Shane Reese, the university's academic vice president, said BYU made a "narrow and religious mission-based decision" to discontinue providing gender-affirming services, but it is continuing to offer assistance with the other communication services it provides to everyone, regardless of gender identity or expression. Edited July 15, 2022 by JAHS 4 Link to comment
bluebell Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 12 hours ago, JAHS said: UPDATE: BYU speech program keeps accreditation after cutting transgender services SALT LAKE CITY, July 14 (UPI) -- A review has determined that Brigham Young University's master's program in speech-language pathology remains in compliance with accreditation standards after ending gender-affirming services for transgender clients. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a national professional organization, had issued a statement that a decision by BYU earlier this year to end the services at its speech-language clinic "is in direct opposition" to the practice expected of its members. The BYU program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, a semi-autonomous body of ASHA. The council launched a review of the complaint in the spring. On Thursday, BYU provided UPI with a copy of a letter it had received from Gale Rice, CAA chair, saying the council will not investigate the "adverse information" it had received about the speech-language program. "After considering all submitted documentation, the CAA determined that, in reference to the situation the adverse information described, the program remains in compliance with CAA's Standards for Accreditation," the letter says. BYU, which is located in Provo, Utah, and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had decided that providing the services was not consistent with guidelines telling church leaders to "counsel against social transition." Transgender clients use the vocal training to make their voices reflect their gender identity. BYU has religious exemptions under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools, because it is owned by a church. Title IX does not apply to an educational institution that is controlled by a religious organization when application of the law would be inconsistent with its religious tenets. In a letter responding to the ASHA statement, C. Shane Reese, the university's academic vice president, said BYU made a "narrow and religious mission-based decision" to discontinue providing gender-affirming services, but it is continuing to offer assistance with the other communication services it provides to everyone, regardless of gender identity or expression. Oh good. I bet those students are so relieved! 1 Link to comment
juliann Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 3 hours ago, bluebell said: Oh good. I bet those students are so relieved! Anybody familiar with ASHA would know this was all a big Tarzan scream. 3 Link to comment
The Nehor Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 On 7/14/2022 at 11:20 AM, carbon dioxide said: Gender or sex is eternal. Decided billions of years before we were born and we remain the same gender billions of years into the resurrection. One can not transition from one gender to another just as one can't transition from a human to a fish. Better to lose an accreditation than compromise principle. So spirits are always put into the correct bodies to match their eternal gender? Intersex bodies maybe get a roll of the dice? The logic would probably be that God would never allow such a mistake but that is the same logic that led many to claim homosexuality was a result of sin and couldn’t be inborn. We have Spencer W. Kimball on homosexuality: Quote “God made me that way,” some say, as they rationalize and excuse themselves for their perversions. “I can’t help it,” they add. This is blasphemy. Is man not made in the image of God, and does he think God to be “that way”? The evidence seems to suggest that God either makes people that way or allows them to be made or to become that way and that is not much of a distinction. Maybe I am too cynical but every time I hear someone say something like: “Surely God would not allow something like that to happen,” I want to laugh a bitter laugh. It is often even easy to point out specific things God has allowed to happen that are much worse. 1 Link to comment
Ipod Touch Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 Good for BYU. This trans nonsense is a hill to die on. And besides, accreditation from an organization that believes men can change sex isn't worth much. 1 Link to comment
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