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Florida Speech Continuing Education & License Renewal

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Florida SLPs can earn all 30 hours for renewal online!

Click to view ASHA-approved online CEUs!

Florida-licensed Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists have an upcoming license renewal deadline on December 31, 2011.

Speech Pathologists or Audiologists must complete 30 hours (50 hours if dual licensed) of approved continuing education (CE) every 2 years for license renewal. The requirements are:

Speech Pathology or Audiology Assistants must complete 20 hours of approved CE within the biennium for which they are claimed. The requirements are:

Provisional Speech Pathologists or Audiologists are not required to obtain continuing education. However, approved CE taken while provisionally licensed may be used to satisfy the CE requirements for full licensure.

All Continuing Education must be Board or ASHA approved and earned within the biennium for which they are claimed.

Professional Development Resources is approved by the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to provide continuing education activities in speech-language pathology and audiology. See course details for number of ASHA CEUs and expiration deadline. Who is eligible to earn ASHA CEUs?
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See Rule 64B20-6, F.A.C. for more information about continuing education requirements:

As a condition of the biennial renewal of an active status license, the licensee shall attend and certify attending 30 credit hours, per biennium, of Board approved continuing education, twenty (20) of which shall be clinically related and two (2) of which shall be proof of completion of a course relating to prevention of medical errors. Those licensed as both audiologists and speech-language pathologists shall attend and certify attending 50 credit hours, per biennium, of Board approved continuing education, forty (40) hours of which shall be clinically related, twenty (20) in each specialty, of which two (2) hours shall be a Board approved course related to the prevention of medical errors.

The licensee or certificate holder shall maintain for a period of two years following renewal all documentation verifying the completion of the continuing education hours required for renewal. Upon request, such documentation shall be provided to the Board or Department.

The Board shall audit the files of randomly selected licensees and certificate holders to ensure compliance. Within 21 days of the receipt of such request from the Board or Department, the licensee or certificate holder shall provide evidence of completion of the required continuing education hours. Failure to maintain documentation of the required continuing education hours and submission of such upon request, or the submission of false or misleading information or documentation shall subject the licensee or certificate holder to disciplinary action.

Florida Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/speech/index.html

Dysphagia – Overview & Helpful Handouts

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Source: RD411.com

Dysphagia: What Is Dysphagia?

I recently was diagnosed with dysphagia. What does that mean?

dysphagiaDysphagia means difficulty swallowing. Often people complain that food “gets stuck” in the throat. This leads to a diagnosis of dysphagia.

Swallowing is a complex process that involves more than 50 pairs of muscles and many nerves. Food is moved from the mouth to the stomach in three stages. In the first stage, food is prepared for swallowing as it is moved around the mouth by the tongue. The second stage begins when the tongue pushes food or liquid to the back of the mouth. The third stage begins when food or liquid enters the esophagus. Dysphagia can occur in any of these three stages.

What causes dysphagia?

Some people are born with swallowing problems, but in many cases they develop as a result of a physical illness or medical condition. Dysphagia has many causes, including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, other neurological disorders, and muscular disorders, such as myasthenia gravis or muscular dystrophy. Cancers of the head, neck, and mouth and/or cancer treatment also may cause dysphagia.

Why should I worry about dysphagia?

In some people, dysphagia is serious. If you are unable to consume enough food and fluids to stay healthy because you cannot swallow, weight loss or nutritional problems can result. In the worst cases, dysphagia can result in aspiration pneumonia. This occurs when food enters the lungs instead of the esophagus, causing bacterial infection, pneumonia, and occasionally death.

How is dysphagia treated?

Speech and language pathologists are skilled at using medical tests to determine the scope and severity of dysphagia. In some cases, dysphagia is treated with surgery or medication. In others, treatment might involve muscle exercises or using special eating techniques. Some patients must change the texture of the foods and fluids they eat to make swallowing easier. When dysphagia is severe, eating and drinking orally is not recommended. In these cases, providing nutrition via a feeding tube is recommended.

A speech and language pathologist can determine what course of treatment is best for you.

What types of fluid modifications are recommended for dysphagia treatment?

Sometimes when a person has dysphagia, it is necessary to thicken liquids to make swallowing them easier. Liquids are thickened to the consistency of honey, nectar (such as apricot nectar), or pudding. If thickened liquids are recommended, it is necessary to have every liquid consumed, including water, coffee, juices, and milk, of the recommended consistency.

How are liquids thickened?

Speech and language pathologists recommend using a commercial thickener, which is a powder that is mixed into beverages to thicken them. Many health care facilities purchase prethickened water, milk, coffee, and juice to take the guesswork out of thickening fluids. For home use, you can purchase thickening powder at drug stores.

What types of texture modifications are recommended for foods?

The National Dysphagia Diet recommends three levels—dysphagia pureed, dysphagia mechanically altered, and dysphagia advanced.

Dysphagia pureed diet: Foods are pureed and homogenous, with all foods, including meats, vegetables, and breads, of pudding-like consistency.

Dysphagia mechanically altered diet: Foods that are moist, soft textured, and easily formed into a food bolus for swallowing are allowed. Foods are well cooked and soft. Meats are ground or minced.

The dysphagia advanced diet: Foods are of nearly regular texture, but very hard, sticky, or crunchy foods are not included.

A registered dietitian or speech-language pathologist can provide specific information about what foods are allowed on each diet.

Helpful Handouts:

Dysphagia: Scoop It, Mold It, Pipe It—Rice and Pasta

Dysphagia Level 1 Diet (dysphagia pureed)

Dysphagia Level 2 Diet (mechanically altered)

Dysphagia Level 3 Diet (dysphagia advanced)

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Georgia SLP License Renewal Deadline & Requirements

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Georgia-licensed Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Audiologists have an upcoming license renewal deadline of March 31, 2011. 20 hours of continuing education (40 if dual licensed) are required for renewal. There is no limit on hours earned from online or home study courses that require successful completion of a posttest to earn a certificate of completion.

The following information is provided from the Georgia Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology website:

The purpose of continuing education is to maintain and enhance the professional competency of speech-language pathologists and audiologists licensed to practice in Georgia for the protection of the health and welfare of the people of the State of Georgia.

A continuing education unit (CEU) is defined as ten (10) clock hours of continuing professional education. CEU hours may not be carried over from one licensure biennium to the next.

In order to renew a license, the licensee must obtain a minimum of 2.0 CEUs (20 clock hours) during each biennium period of licensure.

Individuals who hold licenses in both Speech-Language Pathology and in Audiology shall be required to complete a minimum of 2.0 CEUs in Speech-Language Pathology and 2.0 CEUs in Audiology.

CEU requirements for newly approved license holders will be pro-rated during the first biennium licensure period as follows:

  • Licensees whose applications are approved during the first six (6) months of the biennium will be required to accrue two (2) CEUs.
  • Licensees approved during the second six (6) months of the biennium will be required to accrue one and one half (1 ½) CEUs.
  • Licensees approved during the third six months of the biennium will be required to accrue one (1) CEU.
  • Licensees approved during the final six (6) months are not required to accrue CEUs until the following licensure biennium.

CEU hours must be in educational experiences directly related to the scope of practice of the licensee, and must be designed to increase the competence of the licensee in the area of licensure. Examples of activities that may provide CEU hours include:

  • Scientific and educational lectures, workshops, or seminars;
  • College courses taken for credit or through official audit (college course credit shall be deemed to be equivalent to CEUs as follows: One Semester Hour = 1.5 CEUs; One Trimester Hour = 1.3 CEUs; One Quarter Hour = 1.0 CEU).
  • Presentations by licensees: 0.5 CEUs (5 clock hours) will be awarded for the presentation of any lecture, workshop or seminar. A licensee may only receive credit for one presentation per biennium.
  • Audio and video conferences, online courses, and teleconferences; and self-study courses accompanied by an examination by the CEU provider.
  • Praxis Examination in the area of licensure. Two (2.0) CEUs will be awarded for successful completion of the Praxis with a score of 650. Successful completion of this examination during the biennium will satisfy all CEU requirements for the license during that biennium. The Board approved national examination results that are used in order to receive a license may not be used again for the renewal of that license. A person who is licensed in both Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology must pass tests in both Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology to meet all continuing education requirements. If the licensee passes the examination in only one area, s/he must obtain 2.0 additional CEUs in the area for which the examination was not passed. Not more than two (.2) CEUs of the required twenty (2.0) per biennium will be awarded for courses in the area(s) of ethics, record-keeping, documentation, Georgia laws and rules, Medicaid regulations and/or Medicare regulations.

Documentation of CEUs:

  • Each licensee shall maintain for three (3) years their own record of the CEU activities that they completed. The Board will not maintain CEU files for licensees.
  • Licensees shall retain documentation of their continuing education activities and shall not send them to the Board Office unless the Board requests the licensee to do so.
  • Licensees shall attest on their biennial licensure renewal application that they have satisfied the CEU requirements as set out above.
  • False attestation of satisfaction of CEU requirements on a renewal application shall subject the licensee to disciplinary actions, including revocation.

Method of Auditing CEUs:

  • The Board will audit a random fixed percentage of applications. Licensees who are audited will be required to document the CEU activities. Required documentation is a certificate or proof of attendance which includes the sponsoring agency, the licensee’s name, the date of the activity, the length of the session, and either the signature of a representative from the sponsoring agency or official certification by the sponsoring agency. A description of the CEU activity may be required if the title of the activity does not clearly state the content of the CEU activity. If the licensee attends a multi-session CEU activity, as in a state or national convention or meeting, additional required information includes a specific listing of each session, the length of each session, and a description of each session if the title does not clearly state the content of the session.
  • Current members of the Board, who are licensees of the Board, shall be audited for each biennium that they serve on the Board.
  • Delinquent renewals shall be subject to the CEU audit for that biennium.

Professional Development Resources is approved by the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to provide continuing education activities in speech-language pathology and audiology. Over 20 online and home study courses available for SLPs @ https://www.pdresources.org/Index.aspx