To become a speech therapist (speech-language pathologist), you must complete a multi-step process involving both education and supervised clinical experience[1].
Educational Requirements:
- Obtain a master’s or doctoral degree in speech-language pathology from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology[1].
- Hold a bachelor’s degree (often in communication sciences and disorders, but other majors are accepted if prerequisite courses are completed)[2].
- Prerequisite undergraduate coursework generally includes biology, chemistry or physics, statistics, and behavioral or social science[1].
- Complete required speech and hearing prerequisite courses if not included in your previous studies[2].
Clinical Experience:
- Complete a minimum of 400 clinical hours in master’s programs (25 hours of guided clinical observation and 375 hours of direct patient contact)[1].
- Some states, such as California and Florida, require 300 hours of supervised practicum in various clinical settings[3][7].
- Finish a Clinical Fellowship (CF) or Required Professional Experience (RPE), which is generally at least 36 weeks and 1,260 hours under supervision after your graduate program[3][6].
Licensure and Certification:
- Pass the national Praxis exam in speech-language pathology[3].
- In the U.S., obtain state-specific licensure, which may have additional requirements such as fingerprinting or a criminal background check[3][7].
- You may also seek the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) by meeting academic, clinical, and examination requirements[1][6].
Continuing Education:
- Maintain licensure and/or certification by completing continuing education units as required by state law (e.g., Florida requires 30 credit hours every two years, including specific hours for clinical topics and medical error prevention)[7].
References
- [1] How To Become A Speech Pathologist: 6 Crucial Career Steps – USAHS
- [2] How Long Does It Take to Become a Speech Pathologist? – Ithaca College
- [3] Qualifications For Licensure Speech-Language Pathologists – California Speech-Language Pathology Board
- [6] Speech-Language Pathology Pathway to Certification – ASHA
- [7] Speech-Language Pathologist – Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
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