Maintaining your ASHA certification (CCC-SLP)

Maintaining your ASHA certification (CCC-SLP) is one of the ways we demonstrate as speech language pathologists, our commitment to supporting our students. If you have an ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) then you’ll know that to maintain this ASHA Certification you’ll need to accumulate 30 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) during each 3-year certification maintenance interval. You can read the requirements here on ASHA website. You might also see people talking about CEUs

1 PDH = one hour = 0.1 ASHA CEUs

10 PDH = ten hours = 1.0 ASHA CEU

There are also new requirements that at least one hour must be in the area of ethics and at least 2 hours must be in cultural competency, cultural humility, culturally responsive practice, or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The ASHA website has all the details. 

But what can you do to meet these requirements?

AAC CEU courses

These are activities that have been preapproved by ASHA and you can sign up for the ASHA CE registry to track your hours. Once you’ve reached the 30 hours then your compliance form will be automatically submitted. If you are selected for a maintenance audit then you aren’t required to show evidence or report your activities. 

CEUs and the registry are very convenient but what’s kind of confusing is how they’re calculated.

Here are some places where you can find free ASHA CEUs and paid PDH (previously called CMHs)

• ASHA’s website offers a variety of free CEUs, including webinars, podcasts, and articles.
• Many universities and colleges offer free CEUs to their alumni.
• There are also a number of professional organizations that offer free CEUs to their members.
• Finally, you can sometimes find free CEUs by attending conferences or workshops.

Please note that not all free CEUs are created equal. Some may be more valuable than others, so it’s important to do your research before you sign up for any.

Professional Development Hours (PDH)

Professional Development Hour (previously called a certification maintenance hour or CMH). The benefit of PDHs is that they don’t have to be ASHA-approved. (Check here) Just stick with this list and you don’t need to check with ASHA. You will need to keep track of these hours on your own and be able to provide verification of participation if audited. 

The list is broad and includes business and management courses and teacher-oriented content as well as activities more directly linked to speech, language and hearing.

My favourite AAC training for SLPs

One of my favourites is the AAC Institute’s Introduction to AAC which is available here. This course is aimed at people who are new to using AAC and includes looking at what AAC is, identifying AAC stakeholders and classifying AAC interventions. 

Saltillo is another great place to find courses. They not only provide training on using their products like Touchchat and Lamp Words for Life but also short courses on implementing these products. Some of their courses are registered for CEUs but not all. You can find out more about their training here. If you go to their implementation classes many are available for free free CEUs.

If you are looking for more hands-on-support and a community to learn with then I would love to see you in my AAC Jump Start Intensive Course. It’s the only course that will:

• Provide you with AAC coaching and support
• Give you the immediate tech knowledge you need
• Provide immediately actionable ideas and strategies
• Give you a crystal clear AAC roadmap to build your confidence. 

Get all the details here and join the waitlist. On completion we can give you a certificate of completion for your records. 

Maintaining your certification can feel onerous but it doesn’t have to be. There are so many great resources out there to help you develop your skills and become an even stronger partner for your students and their family. 

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