The world of continuing education can be confusing, so we wanted to take a moment to explain the process set by ASHA and show what Carolina Speech Pathology does to ensure we are offering you top-notch, evidence-based continuing education opportunities.

Who can offer CEUs?

Anyone can offer continuing education courses; however, if they are not completed through an ASHA Approved CE Provider, they will not show up on the ASHA registry. Also, your coursework may not necessarily count toward your certification maintenance interval required by ASHA or your State, so you will need to do some legwork to determine if the course will meet your needs. Courses that are not offered by ASHA Approved CE Providers are not regulated by ASHA, thus there is no guarantee that the information is evidence-based or that there is transparency for potential conflicts of interest. 

What’s the ASHA registry?

It’s basically like a college registrar that keeps a record of your continuing education courses for a fee. You can certainly do this yourself, but the registry can be helpful for busy people, folks who aren’t on top of their record-keeping game, and those of us licensed in multiple states, as you don’t have to think about saving your course completion certificates. To find out more, visit ASHA.

What does it take to be an ASHA Approved CE Provider?

Here is an outline of what it takes to become a CE provider…if you want all the nitty gritty details, visit ASHA directly.  ASHA Approved CE Providers complete a lengthy application process, then training by ASHA to ascertain the Provider understands all of the conditions for a course to be offered for ASHA CEUs. For example, there are specific requirements regarding verbiage, transparency, and infusing evidence, to name a few. Also, there is an application fee, an annual fee, and a five year review fee the Provider is responsible for in order to maintain its ASHA Approved status. In the past, there were fees issued by ASHA if the Provider made a mistake or missed a deadline, but the fees were lifted in 2022 in favor of a more collaborative approach. You can find the current fees HERE.

Does ASHA approve specific courses?

ASHA Approved CE Providers must register each course with ASHA to be offered for ASHA CEUs. The course information is reviewed by the ASHA Approved CE Provider’s assigned Provider Manager prior to being registered with ASHA for ASHA CEUs. The Provider Manager trusts that the ASHA Approved CE Provider used their training to offer a course that meets all of the standards and requirements, but they do not specifically approve the course. After a course is completed, the ASHA Approved CE Provider submits your participation to ASHA, which is why you are asked for your name, address, email address, and ASHA number when registering for and completing courses for ASHA CEUs. 

Is Carolina Speech Pathology an ASHA Approved CE Provider?

CSP is an ASHA Approved CE Provider in good standing since 2014. In fact, CSP’s CE Administrator, Selena Reece, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCS-S sits on two committees within the ASHA CE: the CE Advisory Group, which provides feedback on the Continuing Education Board’s Standards and Requirements; and ASHA’s Intersections Advisory Group, which provides feedback on the quarterly CE newsletter for ASHA Approved CE Providers. 

What does CSP do to ensure they are offering quality education?

CSP completes regular surveys to determine what topics are of interest to our learners. We use instructors who are highly skilled and knowledgeable in those areas and who are also engaging and fun. We use an array of trusted instructors so that our topics are delivered by subject matter experts. We review all of the content to ascertain that it meets all of ASHA’s requirements while also making sure the courses are interesting and engaging. CSP provides reliable excellence in our courses, as we make sure all of our courses are up-to-date and are constantly adding new topics. We are passionate about offering you the best dang courses we can on topics related to swallowing and providing excellent dysphagia care.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Course:

  • Is it offered for ASHA CEUs? If not, check to make sure the course meets the CE requirements for ASHA and your State. 
  • How many ASHA CEUs is it offered for? When looking into lengthier courses that may give you initial “sticker shock,” we recommend dividing the price by the number of CE units earned for the course to get a better sense of how much the course is “per hour.”
  • What is the instruction level? Is it beginner, intermediate, or advanced? Make sure the instruction level matches your need. 
  • Who is the presenter? Are there potential conflicts of interest clearly stated? Who is sponsoring the course? Will you be bombarded with marketing material?
  • How is the information presented? Does this match your learning style?

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