Popluar Texas Cities With Slp Degrees
Under the University of Texas system, there are many options when pursuing either Speech Language-Pathology program in their locations of Austin, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, and Rio Grande Valley.
The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas Tech University in Lubbock, and Lamar University in Beaumont also have an option to pursue a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology or a Doctorate in Audiology. San Antonio has an additional institution – Our Lady of the Lake University – with a Master’s degree, and Baylor University provides an online pathway toward licensure with their Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Role Of Speech Pathologists
Communication disorders affect 5 to 10 percent of the population, reports the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association . About one million Americans have aphasia, a condition that interferes with their ability to speak, read or write. Hearing loss, language impairment and stuttering are common, too. Speech pathologists use their expertise to diagnose, evaluate and treat these problems. They usually work with people of all ages, from small children to seniors.
These professionals specialize in the prevention and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders. They may also assist individuals with hearing difficulties, autism spectrum disorders or neurological conditions that affect speech and language. For example, SLPs work with patients who have difficulty speaking after a stroke or brain injury, explains ASHA. Children and adults with dyslexia, hearing loss or Down syndrome benefit from their services, too.
This type of work gives you the opportunity to change lives. The pay is very good, too. In 2020, SLPs earned $50,370 to $122,800, depending on their experience and work environment. The median annual wage was around $80,500, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . Most SLPs work full time, but they also offer their services on an as-needed basis.
Experiential Learning In Twus Clinics
Speech, Language & Hearing Clinic
On-campus students train with experienced TWU faculty in our on-site Speech, Language & Hearing Clinic which provides services to those in the community with speech, language, cognitive-communication, feeding or hearing difficulties. You will provide clinical services to clients with supervision from faculty members who are ASHA-certified and Texas-licensed speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
The Stroke Center – Dallas
The Stroke Center – Dallas, located on TWUs Dallas campus, allows graduate students in speech-language pathology to train with professors and other health professionals providing treatments to clients who have experienced a stroke. Gain hands-on experience assessing the communication needs of individual clients, outlining a plan of care and providing outpatient services.
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Certification As A Speech
Although specific licensure requirements vary by state, graduation from an accredited program is required for certification as a speech-language pathologist. Certification is granted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and includes having a passing score on the national Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology.
- For the past fifteen academic years, TTUHSC students in the Speech-Language Pathology program had a 100% pass rate on the Praxis Exam in Speech-Language Pathology.
- For the past three years, graduates of the program have a 100% employment rate in the field.
- More information on certification and state licensure requirements may be found on the ASHA website.
Continuing Education For Speech Language Pathologists In Texas
For you to maintain your Texas licensure, you must clock 20 hours of continuing education. Dual licenses must complete 30 CE hours to renew a license issue for a two-year term. Licensees must complete a minimum of two clock hours in ethics to maintain your Texas license as part of the continuing education requirement each renewal term.
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Speech Language Pathology Licensure Exemptions For Texas
Texas speech-language pathology licensure exempts license professionals performing duties for which they are licensed, students designated as speech pathology language trainees, physicians and surgeons, certificate holders in speech-language pathology from the Texas Education Agency for services within their jurisdiction and if limited to screening procedures performed without compensation, and registered nurses who perform speech or language hearings.
S To Obtain Texas License
When renewing your State of Texas license, related documentation can be scanned and uploaded directly to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation website.
For more information please visit the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation website at .
In Person: Visit TDLR in person at 920 Colorado Street, Austin, TX 78701. Lobby hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST Monday through Friday.
Phone: TDLR Customer Service team members are available by phone from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST Monday through Friday.
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Th Legislative Session Update
May 27, 2020
Notice to Health Care Practitioners of New Training Requirement
House Bill 2059 requires certain health care practitioners to complete a Health and Human Services Commission approved human trafficking prevention training course to renew their license. The bill also requires HHSC to post a list of approved courses on their website. Licensees are required to comply with the training requirements beginning September 1, 2020. For more information, visit our Human Trafficking Prevention Training for Health Care Practitioners webpage.
Job Duties And Responsibilities
Speech-language pathologists, or speech therapists, work in schools, hospitals, senior living facilities and physicians’ offices. Some are employed by universities or research institutes, while others run private practices. Their day-to-day duties may include:
- Teaching patients how to swallow safely or make vocal sounds.
- Using pictures, toys, books and other items to stimulate language development in children.
- Prescribing exercises that strengthen the muscles used for eating, drinking and speaking.
- Developing individualized treatment plans for clients with breathing or hearing disorders, motor planning problems, cognitive delays, or birth defects such as cleft lips.
- Counseling families on how to help loved ones cope with speech or swallowing disorders.
- Tracking patient treatment progress and making adjustments as needed.
- Maintaining accurate patient records.
Depending on the job, SLPs offer individual or group treatment, classroom programs, home-based programs and highly individualized services for people with complex disorders, such as dementia or cerebral palsy. Generally, they work closely with other health professionals and may need to travel between facilities. Some are responsible for directing clinical programs or training support personnel, notes ASHA.
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Interim Practice For Those Aspiring To Become A Speech Pathologist In Texas
The Texas State Board of Examiners may grant a provisional license to an applicant licensed in another state with similar standards and has passed a national examination relating to speech-language pathology. This applicant for a speech pathology license in Texas should be sponsored by a licensee as well. The license is valid until the State Board of Examiners approves or denies the applicants state license. In addition, the intern license is required before beginning a supervised professional experience.
The State Board of Examiners may grant a temporary certificate of registration for applicants who meet all requirements to become an SLP in Texas except for the examination. The certificate allows the individual to practice for eight weeks after the next examination offered
Applicants for speech therapy license verification who have completed the academic and clinical requirements but have not yet received their degree may be licensed as an intern.
The Master Of Science In Speech
The curriculum is a comprehensive combination of academic and clinical experience designed to prepare you to practice as a professional speech-language pathologist. As a graduate student in the speech-language pathology program, on average, you can expect to accumulate 25 50 ASHA clock hours per semester when assigned to the TTUHSC Speech and Hearing Clinic and 85 clock hours per semester at an externship such as a public school, hospital, early childhood intervention program, rehabilitation facility or home health agency. The course schedule is designed to move each entering class of graduate students through the course sequence at the same time.
The opportunity to pursue a particular area of interest comes with your choice of placement for clinical practicum experiences.
Classes include:
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West Texas A& m University
There are two ways to complete the Master’s degree through the College of Nursing and Health Sciences – pursuing either the thesis or non-thesis option. A comprehensive exam will be taken for those that choose the latter option. Examples of courses that are taken in the curriculum are Research in Communication Disorders, Aphasia and Right Hemisphere Syndrome, Pediatric Speech Sound Disorders, and Language Disorders of School-Age Children. For those looking at smaller enrollment, this university has a significantly smaller student base when compared to other options at Texas Tech and UT at Austin.
Requirements for submission to be administered include GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, transcripts that detail coursework completed. Admissions for the program have a set deadline on January 15th each year, and students must have a 3.2 minimum GPA for the last 60 credit hours of work in an undergraduate degree related to communication disorder. Obligations for students toward the end of the program include completing the Praxis national exam with a score of 162 or higher, and to complete the Knowledge and Skills Acquisition which helps to obtain certification by the ASHA.
Governor Approves Regulatory Suspensions To Facilitate Services To Speech
To help combat the spread of Coronavirus, TDLR requested and received authority from Governor Greg Abbott to suspend certain regulatory requirements, to the extent necessary, to allow licensees of the Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist program to provide more services to clients through telehealth and to ease other licensing restrictions.
These suspensions are in effect until terminated by the Office of the Governor or until the March 13, 2020 disaster declaration is lifted or expires. In accordance with Section 418.016 of the Texas Government Code, the Office of the Governor has granted TDLRs request to suspend the following provisions:
Supervision:
Speech-Language Pathology interns may now receive direct supervision through telehealth. The SLP internship is at least 36 weeks and 1,260 hours, divided into three segments with no fewer than thirty-six clock hours of supervisory activities to include:
- six hours of direct supervision per segment by the supervisor of the intern’s client contact in which the intern provides screening, evaluation, assessment, habilitation, and rehabilitation and
- six hours of indirect supervision per segment with the supervisor which may include correspondence, review of videos, evaluation of written reports, phone conferences with the intern, and evaluations by professional colleagues.
As a result of the suspension, all supervision hoursboth direct and indirectmay be conducted through telehealth , , and and §111.213).
Practice:
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Texas Speech Pathology State License Guide
Applicants can seek a speech pathology license in the state of Texas so they can assist individuals with speech, language, and even swallowing disorders. Upon completing their degree and its requirements, applicants can seek employment in Texas where a 27% increase in demand for audiologists is expected through 2026.1
The below information has been curated by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association based on Texas rules and regulations for state licensure of audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Please note that requirements/information may change at any time, so always check with your state for the most up-to-date information.
Exceptionally High Rates Of Job Growth And Employment Levels For Slps In Texas
Texas had the highest numberr of jobs for speech-language pathologists in the country in 2015 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 12,700 people practiced as SLPs in the state that year.
Certain metropolitan areas of Texas ranked highly for their number and concentration of jobs for speech-language pathologists:
- Sherman-Denison: highest concentration of jobs in the country
- Dallas-Plano-Irving: 3rd highest number of jobs in the country
- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land: 4th highest number of jobs
Almost half of the SLPs in Texas were employed in the Dallas and Houston areas in 2015.
The increase in the number of jobs for speech-language pathologists in Texas will exceed 25% between 2012 and 2022 according to the states Workforce Commission. Projections suggest that the this rate will be even higher in a number of the states Workforce Development Areas :
- South Texas26.7%
The number of jobs for SLPs should average 485 a year during the time frame of these projections. More than one-quarter of the total jobs in the state that will become available should be in the Gulf Coast WDA which comprises the Houston-Galveston area.
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Apply For An Slp License
Candidates who meet the above requirements can apply for an SLP license in Texas. After your application is reviewed, you will receive instructions on how to complete a criminal history background check, explains the TSLHA. If everything goes smoothly, you’ll receive your license. Note that surgeons, physicians, hearing-aid fitters and other health professionals may be exempt from the clinical and examination requirements listed above, states ASHA.
Texas SLP license renewal is mandatory every two years. Licensees must complete a human trafficking prevention training course and 20 clock hours of professional development, explains ASHA. If you hold a dual license, you must earn 30 clock hours before renewing your SLP license. All speech pathologists must complete at least two clock hours in ethics every 24 months.
ASHA provides a list of activities that allow you to renew and maintain your license. For example, you may attend workshops and seminars, complete a certification program or participate in employer-sponsored activities. Another option is to complete training in business, management, marketing or other related disciplines so you can run your practice more effectively. Self-directed learning, research work and volunteering are not considered professional development activities.
References
Maintain Slp Licensure And Complete Continuing Education Requirements
After earning your Texas SLP license, you need keep it up to date. This includes renewing it every two years, which you can do online.
You are also required to complete 20 hours of continuing education each two-year cycle through approved providers like the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
The Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association also offers a membership program, which provides members with access to online courses, publications, legislative advocacy, regional seminars, and grant opportunities.
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Public Notice Of State Licensure Requirements
The State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology licenses and regulates Texas’ speech-language-hearing professionals.
This board evaluates credentials monitors continuing education activities conducts complaint investigations and otherwise regulates a variety of concerns related to the practice of speech-language pathology in the state of Texas.
In regard to training future speech language pathologists, and speech-language pathology assistants, the state of Texas requires that practitioners be licensed to practice.
Currently, the requirements for licensure vary from state to state. The West Texas A& M University’s graduate speech-language pathology program prepares students for applying for licensure in the state of Texas and does not represent that our program prepares students to apply for licensure in other states.
More information about the Texas State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and applying for a license as a speech-language pathologist can be found by clicking the following link, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Website
The Texas State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology can be reached at:
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Complete A Clinical Fellowship Program
After earning your graduate degree, you must complete a clinical fellowship. In keeping with ASHA recommendations, the Board requires 1,260 hours of experience over a 36-week period, amounting to 35 hours a week. You can work part-time, provided you work no less than 5 hours a week.
A clinical fellowship is a paid post-graduate period with an area employer that involves supervised practice in a clinical setting. You would be responsible for locating an employer interested in taking on a fellow. In many cases, a fellowship leads to a full-time position, so it is appropriate to consider the employment setting and any specialized area of practice you are interested in.
Just a small sampling of employers in Texas that may be interested in taking on a new fellow include:
- Kingwood Speech Pathology Services, Kingwood
- Central Texas Speech Pathology Services, Austin
- Austin Area Speech and Language Therapy Services, Austin
- Texas Childrens Hospital, Houston
- Health Bridge Childrens Hospital, Houston
- Capital Area Speech, Austin
- Texas Womens University, Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, Denton
Before starting you clinical fellowship program, you must apply for an Intern SLP license by completing an Intern in Speech-Language Pathology Application and submitting it to the Board, along with:
The Board requires you to spend at least 80 percent of your week in direct client contact, which includes assessment/diagnosis/evaluation, screening, and habilitation/rehabilitation.
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Start Your Career In Speech Pathology
Speech and language pathology is a growing field that is likely to offer qualified professionals many opportunities in the coming years. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of speech-language pathologists is projected to grow around 29 percent from 2020 to 2030. This above-average growth indicates that there should continue to be plenty of opportunities for years to come. So while there are numerous steps to becoming a speech pathologist, this degree path may provide you with a solid base for starting a rewarding career.
Educational Requirements For Slps
SLPs typically need a master’s degree or higher and specialized training in healthcare, explains the BLS. ASHA recommends choosing an undergraduate program that includes courses in communication sciences and disorders . Students may also volunteer at children’s hospitals, or work as teaching assistants or summer camp counselors to gain experience.
Currently, there are nearly 300 CSD undergraduate programs available in the U.S. Check out EdFind, ASHA’s online directory, to find a school that meets your needs. Ohio University, Worcester State University, Western Kentucky University or Saint Mary’s College are all excellent choices. You may also use this online tool to find master’s and doctoral degree programs with a focus on speech pathology.
Educational and licensing requirements for SLPs vary from state to state. If you plan to work in Texas, you must complete a master’s degree program approved by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology . Aspiring SLPs who complete a program not accredited by the CAA must submit an approval letter from ASHA along with their licensing application.
As part of your education, it is necessary to complete at least 400 clinical hours and to work under the supervision of a fully licensed clinician for 36 weeks or longer, notes ASHA. Last, you’ll have to pass a jurisprudence exam to demonstrate that you know and understand your state’s laws and practice standards.
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