Continuing Ed

Continuing Education - FAQs

Q: Please sort out the "alphabet soup" of "ABESPA," "AAA," and "ASHA."
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A: ABESPA is the Alabama Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology. They grant licenses for SLPs and AUDs in Alabama. See www.ABESPA.org.

AAA is the American Academy of Audiology. They grant certification for AUDs and AUD programs nationwide. See www.Audiology.org.

ASHA is the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. They grant certification for AUDs and SLPs and AUD/SLP academic programs nationwide. See www.ASHA.org.

Q: I want to count [the event] as CE credits for both ASHA and ABESPA. So, what do I need to do as far as paying ASHA? Can you tell me what this fee is, or why I have to pay them to earn the CE credits? (Also,) Do I need to pay any CE fees to SHAA?
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A: Any and all sessions listed on SHAA's CE page will count for ASHA certification maintenance, and no fee is required. You will receive an attendance certificate, and at the time appointed by ASHA, you can submit the info in a list of your CE activities.

A fee is charged only when you want ASHA to keep track of your hours for you (through the CE Registry). In such a case, you fill out a couple of extra papers which will be provided in the CE packet, and the CE units are then considered "ASHA CEUs", which can then count toward ASHA's ACE award learn. For this privilege and for the convenience of ASHA tracking your CE hours for you, ASHA charges a fee. (As of 2008, it's $24/year, and can be paid over the phone to the ASHA Action Center , 1-800-498-2071.) Remember that this fee is optional, and that you can choose to track your own hours.

There is no separate fee to SHAA for accumulating CE hours (other than the obvious cost for attending events such as the SHAA Convention.)

Q: How can I receive AAA (American Academy of Audiology) CE credit?
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A: The SHAA Convention now offers AAA CEUs, but most other events listed on the SHAA website do not. The SHAA Convention CE packet provides the forms needed to request credit. A form for registering with the AAA CE Registry can be downloaded from http://www.audiology.org/professional/ce/, and they charge an annual fee.

Q: I am one of the presenters. Does my time count toward CEs?
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A: Maybe. IF this is the FIRST time you have ever presented this material, you may count the time of the presentation, the same as any other participant.

ASHA, as of 2005, has a new "Learn and Earn" program for presenters by which you can get credit for prep time equal to your presentation time (up to a 10-hour limit: 5 for prep; 5 for presentation). You need to register with ASHA in advance, and it must be your first presentation of the material. For more information, see www.asha.org/about/continuing-ed, and click on "Learning Your Way." Or, contact Renee Levinson, Associate Director, ASHA Continuing Education, 800-498-2071, ext. 4320.

A: YES. If you attend only 60 minutes of a 75-minute presentation, you can count all 60 minutes, or 0.1 ASHA CEUs. Of course, for the best learning to take place, try to stay for the whole thing -- the practical application of material often occurs toward the end of a session.

Count only the time you actually spend learning in a session, whether you arrive late or leave early. Subtract time for answering cell phone calls, unplanned trips to the restroom (i.e., not at a scheduled break), etc.

Q: How are ASHA CEUs calculated when I attend several segments for various lengths of time?
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A: AAA and ASHA and ABESPA are independent organizations with distinct missions and purposes.

AAA requires 4.5 CEUs (45 hours) over a three-year period, including 0.3 CEUs (3 hours) in professional ethics. Beginning 01/01/08, AAA will require 6.0 CEUs (60 hours) over a three-year period, including the 3 hours in ethics. AAA only accepts events which meet ABA requirements.

ASHA requires 3.0 CEUs (30 hours) over a three-year period in order to maintain certification.

ABESPA requires 12 hours per year.

As for the math, AAA and ASHA and ABESPA all calculate time on a 60-minute hour. However, AAA and ASHA move the decimal point, while ABESPA does not move the decimal point.

So, 60 minutes = 0.1 AAA CEU = 0.1 ASHA CEU = 1.0 ABESPA CEH.
And, 90 minutes = 0.1 AAA CEU = 0.1 ASHA CEU = 1.5 ABESPA CEH.

Because of these differences, CE time at an event is documented by SHAA in minutes which can then be converted to the desired unit.

Remember that these organizations are more concerned with your LEARNING than your math, so focus on your professional development, and let the numbers take care of themselves.
(And when you need help with the calculations, contact the CE Administrator!)

SEE a TABLE for CONVERTING MINUTES to ASHA and ABESPA CE CREDITS.

Q: What do I do if a session ends early? "We should be allowed to put the full minutes promised -- we need hours, and [the situation] is out of our control."
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A: (Insert lecture on professional ethics here...) You can only count instructional time for which you were learning. If the presenter quits early for whatever reason -- illness, lack of preparation, failure to fill the time with adequate material and activities -- you can still only put the actual time you were in the session. If you write down 15 more minutes than you actually attend, you are violating basic professional ethics, the same as if you bill for a 45-minute session when you only treat the client for 30.

By the same token, if a participant arrives late, takes an unscheduled break (for restroom, cell phone, to run out to the car... whatever), leaves early, etc., that time must be deducted, and only the actual learning time can be reported.

Note that in a convention setting, if your session ends, for example, 20 minutes early, you can go into another session for the remaining 20 minutes. It is the certificant's/licensee's responsibility to attend an adequate amount of professional development activities.

When discussing ASHA CEUs, the time mentioned on promotional materials is a maximum number of minutes. Even if the speaker goes long, the number of minutes cannot exceed the number of CEUs mentioned in the promotional paragraph (with the ASHA CE logo).

Q: We want to sponsor a continuing ed event. What options do we have for making sure SLPs and AUDs can count it toward license renewal and for maintaining certification? (Back to the list of questions)