Educating globally conscious speech-language pathologists for collaborative professional practice

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) practicing in the US are facing significant changes in reimbursement, billing and practice in both health care and educational settings. Health care professionals need to convey and demonstrate the value of their services, measure functional patient outcomes and assess patient satisfaction. Documentation procedures for patient and student progress are changing, becoming more abbreviated and electronic. The content of curricula in accredited graduate programs and professional development programs for maintenance of certification for SLPs will need modifications to address the myriad of changes in clinical practice. University programs that design interprofessional education opportunities for students in speech-language pathology programs and educate students in other health professional programs, e.g. physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing and pharmacy, will help practitioners who are prepared to engage in collaborative practice with other health care professionals in hospitals, schools and community-based environments. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is actively engaged in several initiatives to facilitate interprofessional education for graduate students, faculties and practicing professionals. Individuals and families with communication disorders in the US represent an array of cultures, and SLPs need to be prepared to work effectively with individuals from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.