SLPA Supervision Rules That Trip Up a Move

For a speech-language pathology assistant, the license or registration is only half of compliance. The other half is supervision, and it is written differently in nearly every state: how many hours, how many of them in person, whether video counts, how many assistants one SLP may oversee, and what has to be on file before you see a client. An SLPA and supervisor who did everything right in one state can be out of compliance in the next without changing a thing about how they work.

How much supervision do the states we checked require?

Texas

TDLR's supervision page requires at least 8 hours of supervision per month for an assistant in speech-language pathology, at least 4 of them direct. In a month with fewer than four weeks worked, it is 2 hours per week worked, one direct and one indirect. Tele-supervision may be used for both. The supervisor needs two years of experience in direct client services, may supervise no more than four interns and assistants combined, and cannot supervise a parent or child. Supervisors are responsible for evaluations, interpretation and case management, and only a licensed SLP or SLP intern may represent speech-language pathology at an Admission, Review and Dismissal meeting.

California

California rewrote its SLPA supervision rules effective July 1, 2024. A supervising SLP needs two years of full-time experience, or 3,120 hours, as a licensed or credentialed SLP, and must complete professional development in supervision before starting and every four years after. For the first 90 days of an SLPA's initial licensure, direct supervision means on-site observation and guidance for 20 percent of all duties. Supervisors may supervise three SLPAs and no more than six support personnel at a time, may use synchronous audiovisual supervision, and must give the SLPA a copy of the supervision form within 45 business days.

Alabama

Alabama's rule is the strictest on presence. Supervision "requires the physical presence of the licensee in the same facility at all times when the assistant is carrying out assigned clinical responsibilities." The supervisor documents direct observation of at least ten percent of all services and may supervise no more than the equivalent of two full-time assistants (Ala. Admin. Code r. 870-X-2-.06).

Alaska and Indiana

Alaska's statute requires a supervision plan with direct supervision of at least 50 percent of the assistant's services in the first 90 days of employment and at least 20 percent after that (AS 08.11). Indiana requires direct supervision of SLP aides 20 percent weekly for the first 90 days and 10 percent after, with the supervisor physically present in the same building whenever the aide provides direct client care.

Florida

Florida's statute puts the training on the employer: the SLP who employs an assistant must provide a board-approved plan for on-the-job training and remains responsible for every service the assistant performs (Fla. Stat. § 468.1215).

Which differences cause the most trouble after a move?

• Video supervision. Texas and California allow it in defined ways. Alabama requires the supervisor in the same facility at all times. A remote supervision model that is legal in Texas does not exist in Alabama.
• The 90-day reset. California's 20 percent on-site rule applies for the first 90 days after initial licensure there, even for an experienced SLPA from another state. Alaska and Indiana also front-load supervision in the first 90 days.
• Ratios. Two full-time assistants in Alabama, three SLPAs and six total support personnel in California, four interns and assistants combined in Texas. A supervisor who is at the cap in one state cannot add a new hire in another without checking.
• Supervisor qualifications. Two years of experience in Texas and California, plus supervision training in California. A newly licensed SLP may not be allowed to supervise you at all.

Does your supervisor need a license in the new state?

Yes, in the states we checked. Texas says speech-language pathology assistants must be supervised by an SLP licensed in Texas, and the department must approve the supervisor before supervision begins. The ASLP Compact does not help here: the Commission says "assistants are not eligible for compact privileges," and nothing in the compact lets an assistant practice under a supervisor's privilege. See who the compact does not cover.

What has to be on file before your first day?

Texas: your license issued and you added to your supervisor's license, after the department approves the supervision plan. Alabama: a board-approved work plan describing where you work, what you do, how you are supervised and how you are trained, filed by the supervisor. California: a responsibility statement signed by the supervisor, with your copy within 45 business days. Starting work before these are in place is easy for a board to spot later, because the approval dates sit in its own records.

Why does changing jobs mean new paperwork?

Because in many states the credential is tied to a supervisor, an employer or both. Indiana requires a new support personnel license, with a new number, when you change employers; a supervisor change at the same employer uses a separate form. Texas requires the new supervisor to submit a new supervision plan for approval, and the old supervisor must report the end of supervision. Alabama requires a new application when the approved plan changes, though without a new fee. Budget for paperwork every time your job changes, not only when your state does.

How can we help an SLPA and supervisor get set up?

Our SLPA License or Registration service is $399 per state and includes the supervisor's side of the paperwork: the plan, the approval and the ratio check. You and your supervisor review and sign everything. State fees are separate. Occupational therapy assistants face a similar patchwork; our sister site covers OTA supervision rules by state. For the license side, see which states license or register SLPAs and licensing as an SLPA in another state.