North Dakota Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Licensure Guide - 2024

North Dakota Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Licensure Process

The North Dakota State Board of Examiners on Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (NDSLHA) possesses the legal authority to regulate and issue licenses to speech pathologists and audiologist assistants in North Dakota. Below is an outline of the initial process for obtaining a speech-language pathology assistant license in the state:

Education Requirements

Speech-language pathology assistants must have a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology or communication disorders approved by NDSLHA. Additionally, a prerequisite for this requirement is to have completed at least three semester credit hours in clinical techniques and a minimum of six semester credit hours in disordered communication. Here you will find listed all North Dakota speech pathology degree programs.

Experience Requirements

An SLPA must complete an internship requiring at least one hundred hours of clinical experience overseen by a supervising speech-language pathologist. A speech-language pathology assistant gains knowledge and skills through on-the-job training. However, a licensed SLPA must work under the supervision of a licensed SLP who has been actively practicing for at least three out of the past five years. This ensures that the SLPA receives guidance and oversight from someone with significant experience in the field.

Within the initial 90 days of supervision, the supervising SLP is required to offer direct supervision for no less than 20% of the client contact hours worked per week by the licensed SLPA and provide indirect supervision for a minimum of 10% of the client contact hours. After the initial ninety days, the requirement for direct supervision decreases to at least 10% of client contact hours worked each week, but the requirement for indirect supervision remains at 10%. These ongoing supervision requirements ensure that the licensed SLPA provides safe and effective patient care.

Testing Requirements

To obtain a speech-language pathology assistant license in North Dakota, you must take ASHA’s Assistants Certification Exam, which can be taken after earning your master’s degree. However, many opt to take the exam while completing their post-graduate fellowship. The SLPA certificate program is a one-semester program that involves SLPA coursework and a school-based internship guided by an ASHA-certified SLP mentor.

The Praxis Subject Exam in Speech-Language Pathology assesses your knowledge of communication disorders’ causes and development and professional techniques for screening, assessing, diagnosing, and planning treatment for various communication, speech, language, feeding, and swallowing disorders. Keep in mind that you must score at least 162 on the SLPA practice exam to pass the exam. You must also pay a $249 initial fee and apply for C-SLPA certification.

Application Process

You must obtain a state license to work as a speech-language pathology assistant in North Dakota. This requires submitting an SLPA licensure application to the North Dakota State Board of Examiners on Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.

To meet the requirements for a speech-language pathology assistant license in North Dakota, you need to provide the following documentation and fee:

• Proof of passing PRAXIS test score. If you don’t have this, upload proof of current ASHA certification.
• Proof of Internship Hours.
• Payment of the current ALPA licensing fee of $250.00 and an application fee of $100.00, totaling $350.00.

Kindly send your application via mail for processing to:

Once received, the Board will review your complete application within 7-10 business days to assess whether to approve or deny your request for licensing. To avoid any delays, it’s important to carefully review all the requirements for licensure and submit all necessary documentation as instructed. Once the Board has decided, you will be notified of their decision.