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Continuing professional development credits/hours will soon be another requirement for SLPs who wish to maintain their CCCs. I feel that this is redundant for most SLPs. As a school SLP in Wisconsin I am required to attain 6 credits per 5-year period or equivalency clock hours to receive my 5-year teaching license. Many of my peers in other states have similar requirements, as do the SLPs in clinical settings. I do not understand why ASHA did not look at each state's requirements and determine whether they are equal to or above their own requirements. In those cases, it's ridiculous to ask SLPs to perform the redundant task of submitting dual professional development credits/hours and then charge us to keep track of them. It should be enough that our state has licensed us. In cases where a state does not require professional development or requires less than ASHA standards, then those individuals can perform the necessary requirements to "catch up." Instead of looking at what most SLPs are already doing, ASHA has made a blanket requirement for all when it is likely that only the minority really need it. I have received numerous advertisements for ASHA's "CEUs" since this new requirement began. I find it interesting that ASHA has made this new requirement mandatory and then wants us to take ASHA's own courses, in which it stands to gain a significant amount of money from its own members. Isn't ASHA supposed to be helping SLPs, not making our lives more difficult?
Christa Savage-Gore
Wausau, WI
csavage@wausau.k12.wi.us
Editor's note: While the Code of Ethics has always required certificate holders to participate in continuing professional development, the new certification maintenance standard requires members to demonstrate that they have accumulated 30 contact hours of professional development every three years. It does not require them to take courses offered through ASHA-approved CE providers or to join the ASHA CE registry. There will be no additional charges for certificate holders to maintain the CCCs. For information call 800-498-2071 or e-mail certification@asha.org.
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