Speech-Language Pathology Assistants: Do They Feel Confident in Their Clinical Skills?

Speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) have been utilized to address the shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs). However, the training is primarily put on the shoulders of the SLP. Currently, there is no research addressing the confidence and education of SLPAs. The current study aimed to investigate the self-perceived confidence and educational background of SLPAs. In this study, 68 participants responded to a survey. Descriptive statistics and the results of a regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The results indicate a variation of confidence across different areas of speech-language pathology. Language was the area in which the SLPAs felt the most confident, while swallowing was identified as the area where they felt the least confident. Moreover, preservice education is only a predictive factor in three of the 10 clinical areas.