The following information summarizes the requirements currently necessary to begin work in the public school system as an:
Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist
This information has been collected by researching individual state department of education regulations and policy documents, state administrative code provisions and by contacting each state department of education. Please be advised that regulations and policy may change at any time, so always check with your state department of education for the most up-to-date information.
Audiologist
No additional requirements to provide audiology services in school, other than state licensure.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Special Education Speech-Language Disorders
Endorsement requirements:
- An earned master's degree in speech-language pathology from an accredited institution
or
- A current license in speech pathology issued by the Virginia Board of Examiners for Audiology and Speech Pathology
Continuing Education Requirement
180 professional development points every five years based on an individual professional development plan.
Emergency Certification
None. For 2008-2009, speech-language disorders have been identified as a critical shortage area. Special education areas, including speech and language disorders, are listed as #1 on the list of top ten critical shortage teaching areas in Virginia.
Support Personnel
The special education staffing requirements do not include a paraprofessional for speech-language caseloads as they do for classroom special education teachers but this does not prohibit the use of paraprofessionals. There is no credentialing of speech-language pathology assistants, resulting in local determination of the nature, degree, and quantity of training.