Speech and Language Pathology Subject Codes

Speech and Language Pathology is one of five categories ASHA Continuing Education (CE) uses to identify the subject code for a CE course. The bullets listed below each code are examples of content appropriate for that subject. Additional examples that may apply can be found on the overview subject code page.

On this page:

• Acquired and Degenerative Language Disorders (Excluding  Traumatic Brain Injury –   3030
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) – 1050
• Cleft Lip/Palate, Velopharyngeal Dysfunction (VPD), and Related Craniofacial Anomalies – 1080
• Developmental Language Disorders – 3010
• Fluency Disorders (Including Stuttering and Cluttering) – 1010
• Phonology/Articulatory Disorders – 3050
• Speech Motor Disorders – 1030
• Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia) – 1040
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – 1060
• Voice Differences/Disorders and Resonance Disorders – 1020
• 2015 Changes
• 2020 Changes

Acquired and Degenerative Language Disorders (Excluding Traumatic Brain Injury) – 3030 

Content Area: Professional

• Aphasia and other acquired neurogenic disorders of language and cognition in adults (e.g., aging right hemisphere syndrome, dementia, early Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, prefrontal damage, and progressive neurological diseases and syndromes resulting in language and/or cognitive-communicative disorders)
• Executive function
• Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA)
• Neurogenic and cognitive-communicative intervention
• Pharmacological, surgical, behavioral, and environmental issues

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) – 1050

Content Area: Professional

• Characterization of language, speech, and social communication
• Comparisons of treatment approaches
• Developmental characteristics and trajectories
• Efficacy and effectiveness
• Reading and written language problems
• Related and/or co-morbid conditions (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD])
• Sensory integration
• Syntheses of evidence for interventions
• Technological innovations
• Theoretical models
• Transitioning (e.g., postsecondary education)
• Vocational transition and training

Cleft Lip/Palate, Velopharyngeal Dysfunction (VPD), and Related Craniofacial Anomalies – 1080

Content Area: Professional

• Associated perceptual issues
• Feeding issues
• Language disorders in populations with craniofacial anomalies
• Related syndromes
• Technology (including nasopharyngoscopic and videofluoroscopic evaluation of velopharyngeal function for speech)

Developmental Language Disorders – 3010

Content Area: Professional

• Ability to distinguish language differences from language disorders
• Activity/participation limitations or restrictions that negatively impact quality of life
• Associated disorders of reading, writing, spelling, narrative discourse, and math literacy (semantics and syntax skills associated with mathematics)
• Comprehension and production deficits in the areas of language form, content, and use
• Central auditory processing disorders (CAPD)
• Co-morbidities and related disorders (e.g., maltreatment, genetic and psychiatric)
• Deficits in executive functioning skills
• Emerging literacy and literacy skills related to accessing educational curriculum
• Family-centered practice
• Hearing disorders and/or impairments
• Intervention techniques and methodologies
• Multilingual speakers and/or English language learners who have a language disorder
• Processing disorders
• Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS))
• Sensory integration disorders such as the following:
• Transitioning (e.g., moving from an acute setting to a community, moving from an acute setting to postsecondary education)
• Vocational transition, training, and/or rehabilitation

Fluency Disorders (Including Stuttering and Cluttering) – 1010

Content Area: Professional

• Effects of various communication disorders on speech fluency (i.e., concomitant factors)
• Physiological, neurological, acoustic, and perceptual components
• Technology and instrumentation
• Theoretical models of fluency and fluency disorders

Phonology/Articulatory Disorders – 3050

Content Area: Professional

• Ability to distinguish differences from disorders when assessing developmental phonological processes
• Disorders associated with etiologies (e.g., craniofacial anomalies, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, neurogenic disorders)
• Elective intervention related to phonological/articulatory differences
• Impact of auditory impairments and/or disorders
• Impact of children’s activity/participation
• Instrumentation used to facilitate productions
• Phonological aspects of reading, spelling, and writing disorders resulting from congenital and structural deficits (e.g., craniofacial anomalies), trauma, neurogenic disease, or functional impairments
• Phonological awareness and literacy
• Service delivery for children with phonological/articulatory disorder

Speech Motor Disorders – 1030

Content Area: Professional

• Activity/participation limitations or restrictions resulting from motor speech impairment (e.g., quality of life, avoidance of social situations)
• Body positioning, neuromuscular manipulation, and sensory input to provide positional stability and functional mobility in order to support effective oral communication
• Childhood apraxia of speech or acquired apraxia of speech
• Conditions and developmental disorders that are genetic, infectious, neurogenic, or rare
• Dysarthria and oral motor dysfunction
• Orofacial myofunctional disorders
• Oral sensory difficulties (e.g., saliva control, articulatory placement, speech production, and intelligibility)
• Pharmacological, surgical, or behavioral interventions
• Principles of motor learning and neuroplasticity
• Speech motor control impairments (genetic and acquired)

Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia) – 1040

Content Area: Professional

• Activity/participation limitations or restrictions (e.g., quality of life, avoidance of social situations)
• Aerodigestive tract function disorders as related to swallowing issues
• Clinical instrumentation and application (e.g., videofluoroscopic swallowing evaluation, fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing [FEES], endoscopy)
• Development of oral motor feeding and swallowing skills, including nutrition and management of sensory-based feeding disorders (e.g., “picky eaters”)
• Mechanical interventions (e.g., tracheostomy and ventilator)
• Medical management of orofacial myofunctional disorders (e.g., radiation, medications, surgery)
• Neurological, motoric, cognitive, or psychological factors
• Typical oral function for feeding, nutrition, and swallowing

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – 1060

Content Area: Professional

• Cognitive-communication treatment
• Comorbidities (e.g., balance, dizziness, mental health issues, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], visual and hearing impairments, learning disabilities, sleep disorders)
• Service delivery models
• Swallowing disorders
• Executive functioning
• Transitioning between different health care, educational and community settings
• Vocational transition, training, and/or rehabilitation

Voice Differences/Disorders and Resonance Disorders – 1020

Content Area: Professional

• Craniofacial/structural anomalies
• Functional issues (e.g., alaryngeal speech, hypernasality, hyponasality, laryngectomy, mobility issues, persistent or chronic cough, tracheostomy, ventilator dependent, velopharyngeal insufficiency, vocal abuse)
• Laryngeal biomechanics in normal and abnormal phonation
• Neurogenic disease (e.g., Parkinson’s disease)
• Occupational voice problems (e.g., chronic hoarseness and missed activities due to concerns about vocal abuse)
• Syndromes
• Trauma
• Transgender and gender-diverse populations

2015 Changes

2010 Speech Science – no longer in use

Content Area: Basic Communication Processes

• Speech anatomy, neuroanatomy and physiology
• Normal speech motor control
• Speech perception; psycholinguistic aspects
• Descriptive and/or comparative studies of culturally distinctive ways of speaking
• Normal fluency
• Instrumentation I speech research
• Neural science
• Genetics
• Multicultural issues in speech science
• Normal oral motor development and function in speech production

4010 Language Science – no longer in use

Content Area: Basic Communication Processes

• Acquisition and study of language systems (spoken, written, and/or sign)
• Cognitive processes related to language learning or use
• Comparisons of the language behaviors of groups with and without disorders
• Second language acquisition
• Language and cognitive development in individuals with hearing loss
• Multicultural issues related to language acquisition and use
• Linguistic aspects of literacy incusing reading, writing, spelling, and sign language acquisition and performance in bilingual individuals  

2020 Changes

• 3030 Aphasia and Other Acquired Neurogenic Disorders of Language and Cognition (excluding Traumatic Brain Injury) renamed Acquired and Degenerative Language Disorders (excluding Traumatic Brain Injury) 3030
• 1030 Motor Disorders of Speech renamed Speech Motor Disorders 1030
• 7040 Psycho-social Issues Associated with Speech/Language/Swallowing/Hearing Assessment and Intervention renamed Social-Emotional-Behavioral Issues related to Speech, Language, Hearing and Related Disorders 7040
• 1020 Voice Disorders renamed to Voice Differences/Disorders and Resonance Disorders 1020