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Answers from IDFPR

Published in the October 2024 issue of the ISHA Voice.

By Karen Kockler, member of the School Affairs Committee and the ASHA State Education Advocacy Leader for IL

The following information was provided by IDFPR staff and members of the Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology in response to questions asked by ISHA:

  1. IDFPR staff members have started working on developing a system for online application forms, including those for Audiology, Speech Language Pathology, and Speech Language Pathology Assistants.  IDFPR’s estimated completion date is by the end of 2025.  Stay tuned!
  2. IDFPR now offers an online method to pay fees for our professions. 
  3. According to IDFPR staff, the processes for licensure approvals “…have been tweaked and there seem to be fewer bottlenecks.” Speech-Language Pathology is one of the bigger professions.  Currently there are 1,108 SLP applications being processed.  The wait time is estimated to be a minimum of two months between receipt of an application and issuance of license.
  4. For SLPs who have learned this year that the Illinois Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act requires all to hold an IDFPR license to practice, here are the steps to take to obtain the license per IDFPR:
    • APPLY FOR LICENSURE ASAP.  IDFPR is treating these like new, first-time applicants.  
    • Do not apply for a temporary license...apply for the permanent license.  
    • Pay the fee(s) for an initial license.  IDFPR is not requiring any back fees!  
    • Provide the following:
      • certification of approved education
      • proof of passing Praxis OR 
      • CCCs (in lieu of Praxis) + clinical experience certification (CCCs letter)
      • certification of 9 months supervised/mentored professional experience

IDFPR staff assures us that if there is any anxiety about potential trouble for not having had the license, they should be able to work around it since clearly some SLPs have been following ISBE options for PEL (i.e. reference to the temporary IDFPR license).

Karen Kockler, MA, CCC, SLP-L, is the ASHA State Education Advocacy Leader for IL.