Speech-Language Pathology Exam (5331) Content

Content Categories / Approximate Number of Questions / Approximate Percentage of Examination
Foundations and Professional Practice / 44 / 33⅓%
Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis / 44 / 33⅓%
Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment / 44 / 33⅓%

Topics Covered

The following list represents the topics covered on the Praxis Speech-Language Pathology exam that will be administered beginning September 1, 2014. These topics are consistent with standards for clinical certification set by ASHA.

Foundations and Professional Practice

• Foundations
  • Typical development and performance across the lifespan
  • Factors that influence communication, feeding, and swallowing
  • Epidemiology and characteristics of common communication and swallowing disorders
• Professional Practice
  • Wellness and prevention
  • Culturally and linguistically appropriate service delivery
  • Counseling, collaboration, and teaming
  • Documentation
  • Ethics
  • Legislation and client advocacy
  • Research methodology and evidence-based practice

Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis

• Screening
  • Communication disorders
  • Feeding and swallowing disorders
• Approached to Assessment and Evaluation
  • Developing case histories
  • Selecting appropriate assessment instruments, procedures, and materials
  • Assessing factors that influence communication and swallowing disorders
  • Assessment of anatomy and physiology
  • Referrals
• Assessment Procedures and Assessment
  • Speech sound production
  • Fluency
  • Voice, resonance, and motor speech
  • Receptive and expressive language
  • Social aspects of communication, including pragmatics
  • Cognitive aspects of communication
  • Augmentative and alternative communication
  • Hearing
  • Feeding and swallowing
• Etiology
  • Genetic
  • Developmental
  • Disease processes
  • Auditory problems
  • Neurological
  • Structural and functional
  • Psychogenic

Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment

• Treatment Planning
  • Evaluating factors that can affect treatment
  • Initiating and prioritizing treatment and developing goals
  • Determining appropriate treatment details
  • Generating a prognosis
  • Communicating recommendations
  • General treatment principles and procedures
• Treatment Evaluation
  • Establishing methods for monitoring treatment progress and outcomes to evaluate assessment and/or treatment plans
  • Follow-up on post-treatment referrals and recommendations
• Treatment
  • Speech sound production
  • Fluency
  • Voice, resonance, and motor speech
  • Receptive and expressive language
  • Social aspects of communication, including pragmatics
  • Communication impairments related to cognition
  • Treatment involving augmentative and alternative communication
  • Hearing and aural rehabilitation
  • Swallowing and feeding