ACSLPA has adopted the Academic Equivalency Framework (AEF), which was developed by a coalition of Canadian audiology and speech-language pathology regulators, as the minimum academic and supervised clinical practice requirements for entry-to-practice audiologists and speech-language pathologists in Alberta.

ACSLPA uses the Summary of Clinical Hours Form for Audiologists and the Summary of Clinical Hours Form for SLPs to check that applicants have met the supervised clinical practicum requirements of the AEF. All applicants from non-Canadian accredited programs must submit the Summary of Clinical Hours Form for application for registration with ACSLPA. The Summary of Clinical Practice Hours Form must be completed and signed by the Program Director of your Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology educational program. Your university must send the original, signed document directly to ACSLPA. We will not accept photocopies.

As an applicant you need a minimum total of 350 hours of university supervised clinical practice within your academic program of study. The clock hours you report must reflect the number of hours of client contact. In that 350-hour requirement, you also need a minimum of 20 hours of clinical practice in your minor professional area (i.e., in audiology for speech-language pathologists and in speech-language pathology for audiologists). You may not include observation hours in meeting ACSLPA clinical practice requirements.

In accordance with the AEF, your clinical practicum hours from your program of study must include the following:

Audiology Speech-Language Pathology
Must include:

  • Minimum 50 hours with children
  • Minimum 50 hours with adults
  • Minimum 100 hours assessment
  • Minimum 50 hours intervention

Must include the following activities:

  • Hearing measurement
  • Audiological assessment
  • Electrophysiological and other diagnostic measurements
  • Amplification (systems, selection, fitting, verification, and validation)
  • Implantable hearing devices

Should include the following activities:

  • Calibration and maintenance of instrumentation
  • Auditory and vestibular disorders involving both peripheral and central pathways of hearing
  • Assessment and management of tinnitus, including hyperacusis
  • Habilitation and rehabilitation procedures applied to children, adults, the elderly and specific populations (e.g., developmental delay, occupational hearing loss)
Must include:

  • Minimum 50 hours with children
  • Minimum 50 hours with adults
  • Minimum 50 hours assessment
  • Minimum 100 hours intervention

Must include a variety of disorder types from the following:

  • Articulation/phonological disorders
  • Preschool/school-aged language development and literacy
  • Developmental language disorders
  • Acquired language disorders
  • Cognitive communication disorders
  • Voice disorders
  • Resonance disorders or structurally related disorders (e.g., cleft lip and palate)
  • Fluency disorders
  • Neurologically based speech disorders
  • Augmentative and alternative communication
  • Dysphagia
  • Prevention and identification activities
Must include exposure to speech-language pathology assessment, intervention and/or prevention activities (minimum of 20 hours) Must include exposure to audiology assessment, intervention and/or prevention (minimum of 20 hours)

NOTE:

  • Please contact the Registration staff if you anticipate difficulties meeting the clinical practice hours requirements above.
  • There is a specific Summary of Clinical Practice Hours Form for each of the professions: one for speech-language pathology, and one for audiology.
  • As per ACSLPA Registration policy 6.029, where an applicant with prior work experience does not meet ACSLPA’s requirement of 350 hours of supervised clinical practicum in their training program, deficiencies may be filled with relevant work experience.

Applicants must have completed a minimum of 280 hours (80%) of SUPERVISED CLINICAL PRACTICUM HOURS and may be granted credit for up to a maximum of 70 hours (20%) of work experience in the major professional area.

Applicants must have completed a minimum of 280 hours (80%) of SUPERVISED CLINICAL PRACTICUM HOURS and may be granted credit for up to a maximum of 70 hours (20%) of work experience in the major professional area.

Where a newly graduated applicant (i.e., with no work experience post-graduation) from a non-CACUP accredited program, or from a non-ASHA accredited American university program does not meet the required hours of supervised clinical practice in their major professional area of speech-language pathology or audiology, they may be able to fill in deficiencies as follows:

    • A minimum of 280 hours (80% of 350 hours) total SUPERVISED CLINICAL PRACTICE HOURS must have been completed.
    • A maximum of 70 hours (20% of 350 hours) will be added to the 450-hour supervised practice period already required.

Where a newly graduated applicant (i.e., with no work experience post-graduation) educated at an ASHA accredited program does not meet the required hours of supervised clinical practice in their major professional area of speech-language pathology or audiology, they will be required to complete supervised practice of a minimum of 20 hours, or if the deficiency is greater than 20 hours, for the number of hours they are deficient.

  • ACSLPA reserves the right to review where there are obvious gaps in clinical practicum hours, i.e., in areas considered foundational to SLP and audiology practice (see section A of the audiology clinical practicum hours form entitled “Essential Topics”; articulation/phonology and various language disorders sections on the SLP clinical practicum hours form) and to put conditions in place to address these gaps as required.
  • The candidate’s work experience will be evaluated through the reference provided as part of the application process. ACSLPA reserves the right to request further documentation to verify, clarify, and/or validate information as necessary (e.g., an additional reference, employment records, information regarding whether the employer/supervisor is a regulated SLP or audiologist in their respective jurisdiction etc.).
    • Volunteer hours are not accepted as part of the 20% work hours for the purpose of meeting clinical practicum hours requirements.
  • If you are short of hours in the minor professional area, you will be required to complete supervised practice to meet this requirement. The additional clinical hours may be completed as part of a 450-hour supervised practice if this is already part of your requirements for registration.
  • If you do not have to complete any additional supervised practice apart from in the minor area, you will need to complete at least* 4 hours of practice with the appropriate profession in order to address the minor hours deficiency, focusing on the following content:

For Audiologists:  Understanding of when to refer to an SLP, including warning signs that would suggest a referral is warranted and observational skills in relation to warning signs.

For Speech-Language Pathologists:  How to read an audiogram, how to screen hearing, and awareness of warning signs that would suggest a referral to an audiologist is warranted.

*The exact number of supervised hours will be stated as part of your registration requirements, but the minimum will be 4 hours.