Professional Development
The ASHA Clinical Certification Standards define professional development as an instructional activity:
- where the certificate holder is the learner;
- that is related to the science or contemporary practice of speech-language pathology, audiology, or the speech/language/hearing sciences;
- that results in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills or the enhancement of current knowledge and skills necessary for independent practice in any practice setting and area of practice;
- where the certificate holder is responsible for determining that the professional development activity is appropriate, relevant, and meaningful to any practice setting and area of practice;
- in which the certificate holder's attendance can be documented by a third party such as an employer, educational institution, or sponsoring organization.
You may not use any activities that do not meet all of the above conditions. In preparation, accrual, and submission of the professional development activities during the certification maintenance interval, certificate holders will be guided by adherence to the ASHA Code of Ethics.
Selecting Your Professional Development Activities
- Activities that are within the Scope of Practice in Audiology and the Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology will be accepted.
- Activities that are related to any area of clinical practice will be accepted.
- Every individual who holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence must observe the Principles and Rules of the Code of Ethics as affirmative obligations under all conditions of professional activity, including professional development. The Code of Ethics provides the fundamental principles and rules that are essential to the preservation of the highest standards of integrity and ethical principles vital to the responsible discharge of obligations by speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech/language/hearing scientists. Principle of Ethics II states that individuals shall honor their responsibility to achieve and maintain the highest level of professional competence, and Rule of Ethics II-C states that individuals must continue their professional development throughout their careers.
No Pre-approval Necessary
You will not need to obtain prior approval from ASHA for the professional development activities you choose as long as they meet the definition of professional development and occur during the 3-year maintenance interval. Activities will be accepted if you determine that they contribute to your professional development and will lead to acquiring and enhancing skills and knowledge required for independent practice.
Certificate holders who live outside of the continental United States may use professional development activities offered in that country.
Generally Accepted Activities
Examples of acceptable professional development activities that are generally accepted:
- Teacher-oriented content that is not related to the professions but enhances your ability to better serve your clients.
- Business and management content that will help you manage your private practice more effectively.
- Supervisory and leadership content for individuals employed in supervisory or management positions.
- Examples of "employer-sponsored in-service" activities are Grand Rounds; special education workshops dealing with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements; formal training sessions sponsored by manufacturers on equipment used in the evaluation or treatment of your clients; and professional activities dealing with professional ethics, diversity issues, reimbursement issues, etc.
- Examples of "other continuing education activities" are state association workshops, and seminars offered through other professional associations such as those offered for continuing medical education (CME) units, university scientific symposia, and formal online, non-credit courses offered through a university. In these cases, you will not earn ASHA CEUs; instead you will count the actual number of Certification Maintenance Hours (CMH) in which you participated in the educational activity. Examples are Autism, Literacy, Neurological Disorders, Genetics, and Ethics.
- Examples of college or university course work are courses offered by regionally accredited programs. Courses can be at any level—undergraduate (both associate and bachelor's level), graduate, or doctoral. Course content can be in any area that meets the definition of professional development. Courses can be offered via distance learning. Examples are Spanish, Early Childhood Development, Autism, Literacy, Neurological Disorders, Genetics, and Ethics.
Activities Generally Not Accepted
Examples of activities that generally are not accepted as Certification Maintenance Hours:
- any activities that do not meet the definition of professional development;
- activities that are not completed during the 3-year maintenance interval;
- attending meetings, serving on leadership committees, volunteer activities, etc;
- routine work experiences such as supervising clinical fellows, developing curriculum, publishing articles, or making presentations are not considered professional development activities when they are part of your job responsibilities and when they are not a planned and supervised educational experience;
- committee or board meetings;
- association membership and leadership activities;
- business meetings;
- work experience;
- entertainment and recreation;
- travel;
- unsupervised or self-directed study*
- supervising student practicum**
- supervising a clinical fellow**
- curriculum development**
- research activities**
- teaching courses**
- presenting workshops and seminars**
- authoring books, chapters, or articles**
*For unsupervised study or self-directed study, you may be able to earn ASHA CEUs by creating an Independent Study plan.
**Generally, unsupervised or self-directed study is not accepted as Certification Maintenance Hours because there may not be a third party that can verify the number of hours the certificate holder spent as a learner. However, if third party documentation is provided, it should verify the number of hours the certificate holder spent as a learner throughout the activity. For example, a certificate holder may be asked to provide clinical supervision for a clinical fellow or for student practicum through an employer or educational institution. If that employer or educational institution is not able to provide appropriate documentation, the certificate holder will not be able to use the clinical supervision activity as hours for maintaining certification.