ASHA's state chart counts 23 states that license SLPAs or other support personnel, 17 that register them, 6 that certify them, 4 that regulate them only in schools and 8 that do not regulate them. New York's licensing office says unlicensed people may not provide speech-language pathology services. SLPAs cannot use the ASLP Compact.
A speech-language pathologist moving states deals with fifty variations on one theme. A speech-language pathology assistant deals with fifty different themes. Some states license SLPAs like any other health professional, some register them through the supervising SLP, some certify them, some regulate them only in schools, and some do not regulate them at all. One large state, New York, does not allow unlicensed people to provide speech-language pathology services.
The best national summary is ASHA's State Assistants Trends chart, which ASHA updates annually and which points readers to each state's page for detail. Its totals: 23 states license support personnel, 17 register them, 6 certify them, 4 regulate them in school settings only, and 8 do not regulate them. A state can appear in more than one column, so the columns add up to more than 51.
What is the difference between a license, a registration and a certification?
Less than the words suggest. The practical questions are who applies, whether a named supervisor is part of the credential, and whether the credential follows you to a new job. Three examples:
- Alabama registers assistants, and the supervising SLP completes the application with a work plan describing the setting, the duties, the supervision and the training (Ala. Admin. Code r. 870-X-2-.06).
- California calls it a registration, but the board's fee schedule treats it like a license, with a $50 application fee and a $100 renewal every two years.
- Indiana licenses three tiers of support personnel, and a change of employer requires a new license with a new number, according to the Professional Licensing Agency.
Which large states license, register or certify SLPAs?
Texas
TDLR issues an Assistant in Speech-Language Pathology license for a $150 application fee, which includes a two-year license. You need a bachelor's degree with a major or emphasis in communicative sciences or disorders, or a bachelor's in another field with at least 24 semester credit hours in speech-language pathology or audiology, including three hours in language disorders and three in speech disorders. You also pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination and submit fingerprints. Your supervisor files a supervision plan with your application, and your license must be issued and added to the supervisor's license before you may practice. See Texas licensing.
California
California registers SLPAs who completed a board-approved program, hold a bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology or communication disorders, or hold an out-of-state associate degree in SLPA. Fieldwork is either 100 hours through school or 36 weeks of full-time SLPA work in another state. Newly licensed SLPAs need on-site supervision 20 percent of each week for their first 90 days. See California licensing.
Florida
Florida certifies speech-language pathology assistants. The statute requires a bachelor's degree that includes at least 24 semester hours of board-approved coursework and background screening, and the SLP who employs the assistant must provide a board-approved on-the-job training plan and stays responsible for all services (Fla. Stat. § 468.1215). See Florida licensing.
Illinois
Illinois licenses SLPAs who hold an associate degree from an approved SLPA program or a bachelor's in communication disorders or speech-language pathology, plus proof of 100 clinical hours. Every SLPA license expires October 31 of odd-numbered years, whatever the issue date, according to IDFPR's qualifications sheet. See Illinois licensing.
Alabama and Indiana
Alabama's registration costs $100, renews every year by December 31 for $50 with 10 hours of continuing education, and lapses automatically if not renewed. Indiana's support personnel licenses also expire every December 31, renew for $25, and cannot be reinstated once expired; the agency says an expired support personnel license means applying for a new one.
Which states use more than one tier of support personnel?
Several states license more than one level, each with its own education and supervision. Indiana's three tiers are the clearest example. An SLP aide needs a high school diploma or equivalent, and the supervisor provides direct supervision at least 20 percent of each week for the first 90 days and 10 percent after that, stays physically in the same building whenever the aide treats clients, and personally provides at least a third of each client's weekly treatment. An SLP associate needs an associate degree of at least 60 credit hours in speech-language pathology, with 24 of them in technical coursework, plus 100 clock hours of supervised field experience. An SLP assistant needs a bachelor's degree in communication disorders and a 100-hour supervised clinical practicum. All three tiers are licensed by the same board, renew every December 31, and must apply for a new license when they change employers.
Georgia licenses speech-language pathology aides, who work directly under a licensed SLP. An archived copy of the board's how-to guide lists the supervisor, a job description, a training plan, a supervision plan and a training-completed form among the application documents, so the supervisor is part of the file from the start. Alaska registers SLP assistants and writes supervision into its statute: direct supervision of at least 50 percent of services in the first 90 days of employment and at least 20 percent after that (AS 08.11).
Where are SLPAs not regulated, or not allowed to practice?
New York is the state that surprises people. The State Education Department's FAQ for the profession says New York law "restricts the practice of speech-language pathology and audiology to licensed professionals. Individuals who are not licensed may not provide speech-language pathology or audiology services." People employed to help SLPs with tasks such as cleaning equipment, preparing a room or secretarial work "should not be referred to as 'speech aides'." ASHA's New York page lists SLPAs as "not regulated, prohibited from practice" in both health care and school settings. There is no SLPA credential to apply for. See New York licensing.
Colorado, according to ASHA's state page, does not regulate SLPAs in health care settings, while schools require a Colorado Department of Education authorization. Iowa does not license SLPAs, but its rules govern how a licensed SLP may use assistants, which ASHA's chart marks as "unlicensed but in rules."
Does "not regulated" mean an SLPA can work unsupervised?
No. Where the state is silent, the supervising SLP is still responsible for the services, the employer's policies still apply, and payers may have their own rules about who can deliver a billable service. ASHA's chart also records supervision ratios for most regulated states, often two full-time assistants per SLP. Moving from a regulated state to an unregulated one does not loosen anything; it moves the rules from the board to your supervisor and employer. See SLPA supervision rules that trip up a move.
How do education requirements differ?
ASHA's chart counts 29 states requiring a bachelor's degree or equivalent, 4 requiring a bachelor's plus graduate hours, 27 accepting an associate degree, 16 accepting a high school diploma for some category of support personnel, and 7 with requirements that do not fit those boxes. Those columns overlap, because many states have more than one tier. Some states accept ASHA's assistant certification (C-SLPA) as a route: the chart's notes mention Arkansas, Arizona and Wyoming among them.
Old degrees can trigger extra proof. Texas asks for evidence of current knowledge, such as 10 hours of continuing education in the past year or a current license in another state, when a bachelor's degree is more than 10 years old.
Can an SLPA practice through the ASLP Compact?
No. The Commission's FAQ answers it in one line: "Assistants are not eligible for compact privileges." Every state an SLPA works in needs its own credential, or confirmation that none exists. See who the compact does not cover and licensing as an SLPA in another state.
How can we help with an SLPA credential?
Our SLPA License or Registration service is $399 per state. We confirm what the state requires, check your coursework against its rules, prepare the application and the supervisor's paperwork, coordinate fingerprints and any jurisprudence exam, and track the board. You and your supervisor sign. State, exam and fingerprint fees are separate. Each state's rules are in the state license index.
Common questions
- How many states license SLPAs?
- ASHA's State Assistants Trends chart counts 23 states that license support personnel, 17 that register them and 6 that certify them. A state can fall in more than one column, so check the specific state's rules.
- Can I work as an SLPA in New York?
- New York has no SLPA credential. Its State Education Department says unlicensed individuals may not provide speech-language pathology services, and ASHA lists SLPAs there as prohibited from practice.
- Is an SLPA registration different from a license?
- Mostly in who applies and how it is tied to your supervisor. Alabama's registration is filed by the supervising SLP with a work plan, while Texas issues a license after you apply with your supervisor's plan.
- Can SLPAs get a compact privilege?
- No. The ASLP Commission's FAQ says assistants are not eligible for compact privileges, so each state needs its own SLPA credential where one exists.
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