Maine Speech-Language Pathologist Licensure Guide - 2024

Maine Speech-Language Pathologist Licensure Process

Maine’s Board of Speech, Audiology, and Hearing is the licensing agency for Speech-Language Pathologists. License renewals take place annually and the other rules and laws governing the profession can be found on the State of Main Professional & Financial Regulation website.

Education Requirements

In Maine, a licensed SLP must have earned a minimum of a master’s degree in speech pathology from an accredited university. The program attended should meet the requirements needed to gain a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in speech pathology. Here you can find all Maine speech-language pathology degree programs.

You can expect to take the following courses during your time in the SLP program:

• Voice Disorders
• Diagnostic Process in Speech-Language Pathology
• Articulation and Phonology Disorders
• Language Disorders in Children
• Neurocognitive Disorders in Adults

Experience Requirements

After graduating and taking the national exam, you can apply for a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). The certification shows prospective employers and colleagues that you have undergone rigorous training, more than required by the state, to treat patients successfully.

However, there are experiences you must complete before being granted a CCC. First, you need the required clinical practicum hours, which are earned while you’re in graduate school. These experiences are supervised by ASHA-certified SLPs with at least nine months of working full-time in a clinical setting. Two hours of professional development in speech-language pathology is also required before an individual can begin supervising students.

The clinical practicum is a chance for you to work with patients directly and hone your skills. Supervisors are expected to conduct direct observations, provide guidance, and deliver feedback to continue developing the student’s clinical competence.

Students are expected to graduate with a total of 400 clinical hours, with 375 hours spent in direct client contact and 25 in guided observation. Direct contact is defined as interacting with the patient or their family when providing assessment, management, or counseling services.

The next requirement is the clinical fellowship, where you’ll need to earn 1,260 hours of experience. This program’s goal is to transition students into an independent provider role. During this experience, you’ll combine the knowledge of your coursework with the clinical training you received to further develop and refine your skillset.

Clinical fellowships take nine months to complete when enrolled full-time, which is at least 35 hours each week. If your enrollment is part-time, it will take longer to finish the fellowship. You are given four years from the time the fellowship begins to complete the experience.

Fellowships are divided into three twelve-week segments. During this time, you must be in direct clinical contact with patients 80% of the time. Here are some examples of direct contact activities:

• Treatment
• Screening
• Assessments
• Diagnostic evaluations
• Writing reports
• Billing
• Client or family consultation
• Client or family counseling
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings and Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Meetings

The remaining 20% of your experience can be spent on other activities like in-services, presentations, or providing training.

Before beginning the clinical fellowship, it is your responsibility to verify the credentials of the program’s mentor. Failure to do so can result in a few or all of your hours not being counted toward the CCC. Submit your application for the certification and include the $249 fee. After about six weeks, the application will be processed, and a CCC will be awarded. If you have any questions regarding the process, call the Action Center: (800) 498-2071

Testing Requirements

The national examination you need to pass before being awarded a speech-language pathology license is Praxis 5331. The Praxis exam comprises three parts:

• Foundations and Professional Practice
• Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis
• Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment

There are 132 multiple-choice questions, and you have 150 minutes to answer them. Under the Foundations and Professional Practice section, you’ll be asked questions about factors that impact communication; wellness and prevention; counseling; collaborating; and research methodologies.

Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis will contain questions about what causes genetic and developmental diseases; assessing fluency, feeding, hearing, and swallowing disorders; and developing case histories.

The final section of the exam will test your knowledge of treating speech-language disorders; generating prognoses; cognitive communication impairments; and developing treatment plans.

Exams are computer-based and offered all year long. You can view a list of testing centers in your area and schedule an exam date online. If you live in the United States (U.S.), a U.S. territory, or Canada, you may be eligible to take the exam at home, and a human proctor will monitor you during the exam.

If you prefer to register by mail, simply complete the Test Authorization Voucher Request Form and send it to:

The registration fee is $146, and it may take up to three weeks to process the application. You’ll then receive a unique ID number to use when signing up for the test, which you have one year to schedule.

A score of 162 is needed to pass, and there are plenty of resources to help you achieve that number. Here are some of the online guides you can use to study and understand what to expect on exam day:

• The Praxis Tests Information Bulletin – Contains instructions, fees, and other testing requirements
• Study Companion – Provides a detailed overview of the exam content
• Interactive Practice Test – Take a timed practice exam
• Videos and Webinars – View instructional content about navigating the exam

You can find more resources on the Praxis Exam website. Don’t forget to ask department faculty members at the university for help locating additional resources to ensure you’ll pass the test.

When registering for the exam, Maine residents must include their educational institution as a score recipient, as results are not automatically sent. You will also be able to see your scores in the online portal.

Background Checks

SLP applicants are required to be fingerprinted for a criminal history record check. Once you submit the application for licensure, you will be sent instructions for getting fingerprinted to complete the background check through the State Bureau of Identification (SBI). The background check fee is $21 and combined with the application fee.

Application Process

Applications are completed online or by mailing the paper form to:

Before gaining the clinical experiences needed for licensure, you can apply for a temporary license. A temporary license allows you to work under the supervision of a qualified SLP as an assistant. During this time, you can complete the requirements for permanent licensure. These licenses are valid for one year and can only be renewed once. Here’s what you’ll need to send in to be granted a temporary license:

• A completed Board-approved application
• Official transcript showing your master’s, doctoral, or equivalent degree
• Proof of completing 400 clinical practicum hours
• Supervisory Plan signed by your supervisor
• Completed Supervision Form
• License verification for every license you hold or have ever held
• License fee of $50
• Criminal history record check fee of $21

You will find the additional forms included with the application packet.

Once you have all the items needed for full permanent licensure, apply by logging back into your online account, or print the application packet and mail it to the address listed at the beginning of this section. Include the following supporting documents:

• Proof of completing a clinical fellowship
• Proof of a passing Praxis score
• Verification of licensure for any you currently hold or have held in the past
• $71 fee for license and background check

If you did not apply for a temporary license, you would still need to send the bullet list of items above along with your official transcript showing you completed a master’s, doctoral or equivalent degree in speech-language pathology.

Licensure can also be granted if you have a CCC. Just send proof of the certification to the board, your official transcripts, and verification for the licenses you hold or have held.

Give the Board three weeks to review the information and notify you once the license is issued. You can also periodically check your online account for a status update.