Diagnosogenic thinking in speech-language pathology and some viable alternatives

Abstract

Diagnosis has long played a central role in the field of speech-language pathology. It governs how clinicians define what they do, who they work with, and how they carry out their practice. Diagnosis also impacts individual clients, often negatively. In this sense, our field can be characterized as diagnosogenetic. This article describes the historical role diagnosis has played in the field since the late nineteenth century, argues how diagnosogenic thinking can be probematic, and offers alternative ways of construing and executing our clinical practices.