Using Your Protected Professional Designation The Right Way

September 2018

Protected Provincial Registered Designations

The provincial registered designations and titles that may be used by registered members of ACSLPA are protected in legislation, as outlined in Section 128 and Schedule 28 of the Health Professions Act (HPA) and Section 18 of the Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Profession Regulation. They are as follows:

Speech-Language Pathologist Protected Titles and Registered Designations
Speech-language pathologist Speech therapist Speech pathologist SLP R.SLP (*NOTE:* Capital letters, no spaces, one period)

Audiologist Protected Titles and Registered Designations
Audiologist Aud R.Aud (*NOTE:* Capital and lower-case letters, no spaces, one period)

Because the provincial registered designations, including abbreviations, are stated and protected in legislation, they may not be altered or re-combined, but should be presented in their entirety, as noted above.

Provincial registered designations are unique to each province and are not portable. Registration in one province does not mean the title may be used or that one may work automatically in another province.

Documenting One’s Credentials and/or Designation

ACSLPA members may ask, “How should I write my registered and professional designations?”or “What should I include in my signature or on my business card?”

If you are on the General Register or Courtesy Register of ACSLPA, you may list your degree (optional), then your provincial registered designation, and then any applicable certification designation(s). Each designation should be clearly separated.

For example:

If you choose to include your degree:
J. Doe, MSc, R.SLP, S-LP(C) J. Doe, MSc, R.SLP, CCC-SLP J. Doe, MSc, R.SLP, S-LP(C), CCC-SLP J. Doe, MSc, R.SLP	J. Doe, MSc, R.Aud, Aud(C) J. Doe, MSc, R.Aud, CCC-A J. Doe, AuD, R.Aud, Aud(C), CCC-A J. Doe, MSc, R.Aud

If you choose to omit your degree:
J. Doe, R.SLP, S-LP(C) J. Doe, R.SLP, CCC-SLP J. Doe, R.SLP, S-LP(C), CCC-SLP J. Doe, R.SLP	J. Doe, R.Aud, Aud(C) J. Doe, R.Aud, CCC-A J. Doe, R.Aud

Non-Practicing Members

If you are in a Non-Practicing category of membership, you may list your credentials and designation as above, however you should include “Non-Practicing” following your protected title (see below), and then any additional applicable certification designations:


J. Doe, R.SLP (Non-Practicing) J. Doe, R.Aud (Non-Practicing) J. Doe, MSc, R.SLP (Non-Practicing), S-LP (C) J. Doe, AuD, R.Aud (Non-Practicing), CCC-A

Written Correspondence When Authorized to Use the Title “Doctor” or “Dr.” When Providing a Health Service

In written correspondence, regulated SLPs and audiologists who have been approved to use the protected title “Doctor” or “Dr.” in connection with providing a health service should state their profession at the same time as they use “Dr.”, as in the following examples:

For a clinical doctorate of Audiology:

Jane Smith, AuD, R.Aud; or
Jane Smith, Doctor of Audiology, R.Aud; or
Jane Smith, AuD, Audiologist; or
Jane Smith, Audiologist

For a clinical doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology:

Jane Smith, CScD, or DSLP, or SLP, R.SLP; or
Jane Smith, DSLP, Registered Speech-Language Pathologist; or
Jane Smith, Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology, Registered Speech-Language Pathologist; or
Jane Smith, Doctor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, R.SLP; or
Jane Smith, Speech-Language Pathologist

For other approved doctoral degrees:

Jane Smith, PhD, R.Aud; or
Jane Smith, PhD, Audiologist; or
Jane Smith, PhD, R.SLP; or
Jane Smith, Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology, Registered Speech-Language Pathologist; or
Jane Smith, Speech-Language Pathologist

In any of the above examples, it is also acceptable to state one’s name and credentials followed by one’s title. For example:

Jane Smith, AuD, R.Aud
Doctor of Audiology, Registered Audiologist; or

Jane Smith, PhD, R.SLP
Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology, Registered Speech-Language Pathologist

NOTE: ACSLPA members who have earned an AuD or another doctoral degree can find additional information regarding how to state their degree and provincial registered designation in the ACSLPA Advisory Statement Use of the Protected Title “Doctor” or “Dr.” When Providing a Health Service; this document is available on the ACSLPA website.

Honourary Members

ACSLPA members who have honourary status may not use provincial registered designations.

Certification Designations

Many ACSLPA members have a certification designation, such as that from Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC) or the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Certified SAC and ASHA members need to familiarize themselves with the appropriate use of certificate designations as outlined by these organizations.

ACSLPA members should be aware that membership with SAC or ASHA does not mean that an individual is certified. The SAC Clinical Certification Program and the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence certification are voluntary programs; only those who have completed the program requirements may use the applicable designations.

Questions about use of registered designations may be directed to the ACSLPA office using our Contact Us form.