Continuing Education Requirements
The South Dakota Board of Speech-Language Pathology would like to remind you that per Administrative Rule ARSD 20:79:02:05 in order to renew your license you must provide proof of having completed 20 contact hours or 2.0 units of continuing education (one contact hour of continuing education is equal to .10 units).
We have tried to answer a few frequently asked questions below:
Who is required to have continuing education?
All levels of licensure are required to have continuing education and proof of completing continuing education is required at the time of licensure renewal.
What is the time frame that will be accepted for continuing education?
During renewal time the board office will only accept continuing education relevant to that licensure period. For example, for the 2017 renewal we will accept CEU's obtained from 10/01/2015 through 10/01/2017.
Where can I obtain my continuing education?
Continuing education can be completed through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association or ASHA approved providers. The Board will automatically accept continuing education from either of these providers as long as it was obtained within the licensure period.
Formal education such as courses or presentations in which the content related to the practice of Speech-Language Pathology will also be considered but must be approved through the Board office.
How do I get a course or workshop pre-approved through the Board office?
You will be required to fill out the "CEU Prior Approval" form which can be located in the licensing section on the Board website. You can fax, email, or mail the form along with a copy of the course agenda and description. The Board will review your request and if approved, you will be issued a program number. During the renewal period you will need to send in the approval form with your program number attached to your certificate of attendance or, you can simply write the program number on your certificate of attendance. If you choose to write it on the certificate please just make sure it is both noticeable and legible!
How do I know if a course that I am taking has already been approved through the Board office?
The best thing to do would be to contact the course administrator/instructor to see if they have requested CEU's for the course or program. If so, they should be able to provide you with a certificate of attendance that has the approved corresponding program number listed. If they have not requested CEU's then you can submit your form per the instructions in #4 above.
Why do I have to wait to turn in my CEU's? Why can’t I send them in once I complete them?
We currently manage files for over 600 Speech-Language Pathologists. Keeping up with everyone's individual documentation is just not feasible.
Why should I send copies and not the originals of my CEU certificates?
Please only send copies of your certificates of attendance with your renewal application. Due to filing constraints CEU documentation will be destroyed once they have been verified and the license has been renewed. It is important to keep copies for your own personal records.
Please feel free to email or call the Board office at 605-642-1600 if you have any questions regarding continuing education. We are here to help!