Writing letters of referral to other professionals or service agencies for clients
is an everyday practice of speech-language pathologists. Such letters precede
clients and establish a framework through which the clients are likely to be
viewed by the recipient of the letter. The practices surrounding the writing of
referral letters can range from maintaining and reinforcing power inequities
between therapist and client, characteristic of a traditional medical model, to
respecting notions of inclusivity, egalitarianism and laws regarding freedom
of information. This paper will address and expand on the latter practices in
order to open up new possibilities for therapist-client relationships in the
speech-language pathology profession.
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