Cerritos College
Why are SLPAs needed?
Answer: Communication disorders are the nation’s leading handicapping condition, affecting 10% of the population. These disorders include: childhood speech and language impairments, developmental delays, autism, voice problems, stuttering, and language disabilities caused by brain injury and/or hearing impairment. Some people are nonverbal and rely on communicative devices to communicate their needs. Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP’s) and their Speech-Language Pathology Assistants help these individuals recover their ability to speak, understand and/or interact with others. These communication disorders isolate people from their friends, family and the community and may limit job and educational opportunities.
If I already have taken courses required for the SLPA Program at other colleges, will they transfer to CerritosCollege?
Answer: All transcripts from other colleges need to be evaluated by a counselor and/or the Department Chair of the SLPA Program. Courses completed at accredited colleges and universities within the United States may be considered for the major but formal course descriptions and/or course outlines for completed courses must be submitted along with a Curriculum Adjustment form.
General Education courses completed at accredited colleges and universities from other countries may be considered; however, transcripts must be evaluated by an International Evaluation service. Please contact the Cerritos College Admissions and Records Department for additional information.
If I already have an A.A. Degree, what classes do I need to complete to graduate with a major in Speech-LanguagePathology Assisting from Cerritos College?
Answer: The state of California Consumer Board of Speech Pathology & Audiology currently requires that a person applying for registration as a SLPA have an A.A. Degree from a college that has an approved SLPA certificate Program. You may speak to a counselor about the process of applying for A.A. equivalency from other institutions, but students need to complete all educational requirements for an A.A. degree that Cerritos College requires. Please refer to the Cerritos College Catalog for A.A. Graduation requirements.
I am a working student. How much time away from my job will I need to spend during my final classes in FieldExperience (SLP240 & SLP245)?
Answer: The Field Experience classes require at least 80 hours of off-site clinical experience for both child and adult populations to meet California Board requirements for licensure. Field placement assignments are arranged by SLPA faculty in LA Metro area and Orange County; students are required to arrange for their own transportation and must have release time from work arranged before the semester begins. Students are often placed in schools, hospitals or clinical settings. Additionally, students meet for one hour per week for discussion purposes with their instructor. Student hours must be completed that semester to receive credit for the course. All students need to plan accordingly so that release time can be arranged with their employers.
To participate in their field experience, students must comply with all health and safety requirements of the site facility. Students who do not pass a criminal background check will be ineligible for placement. All sites require recent proof of a negative TB test, background/fingerprint check. Some facilities do require students to provide proof of current vaccinations and immunizations, as well as CPR (an approved Healthcare Provider certification).
It is highly recommended that students do not enroll in SLP 240 and 245 concurrently to allow for a more focused experience for one assignment and build on those skills during the next practicum.
I have a bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders from another school. What do I need to do to fulfill the board requirements of the SLPA license?
Students who have a Bachelor's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology or Communication Disorders will need to fullfill the field placement courses before submitting their application for licensure to the California SLP board. Bachelor's students must successfully document course equivalencies for the prerequisites to SLP 125 (Childhood Disorders and Treatment) and 235 (Adult Disorders and Treatment) then enroll in those two courses to allow for proper preparation for their clinical field placement. Once students receive a passing grade in SLP 125 and 235 they may enroll in SLP 240 (Child Field Placement) and 245 (Adult Field Placement).
SLPA courses at Cerritos are open to all students who meet the prerequisites for the courses and there is no priority list or special permission given to Bachelor's level students (or current Cerritos students who are finishing up their SLPA coursework) so there is no guarantee they will be able to take the classes for the semester in which they enroll. Bachelor's students are encouraged to take SLP 230, Adaptive Communication Technology, as this is a course not typically offered in undergraduate bachelor's programs and will be instrumental in their field placements.
Are there admission requirements to the SLPA Program?
Answer: There are none at this time.
Do you offer any online courses? Are any classes offered in the summer?
No SLP courses are offered at this time online or during the summer session.
Where can I find information on the job outlook for SLPAs and current job opportunities?
The SLPA program does not keep a job board for SLPA positions but students may access information regarding the SLPA job outlook and average pay scale for California at www.onetonline.com. SLPA jobs can be found on www.indeed.com, www.edjoin.org, and www.therapyjobs.com. A search for "SLPA jobs California" on any web browser will bring up a list of current jobs for the state.
