Arizona regulates SLPAs through the Department of Health Services, under the same office that licenses audiologists and speech-language pathologists. The process is fairly document-heavy, so it helps to know what you're gathering before you start.
Step by step
- Complete an accredited program totaling at least 60 semester credit hours, split between general education and SLPA-specific coursework.
- Complete a minimum of 100 hours of supervised clinical interaction, not observation, under a licensed master's level SLP. This can be waived if you already hold SLPA certification from a nationally recognized speech-language-hearing association.
- Attend an SLPA Orientation session and keep your certificate of attendance, AZDHS asks for it with your application.
- Apply for a Fingerprint Clearance Card through the Arizona Department of Public Safety, this is separate from your AZDHS application and can take a few weeks, so start it early.
- Request official transcripts from every school you attended for your SLPA-related coursework.
- Submit the Initial Application for SLPA License to AZDHS with your $100 application fee and $200 initial license fee.
- Once approved, renew your license every two years.