The European Stuttering Specialization consortium (ECSF) has been running courses for qualified SLTs since 2008 with an annual intake of around 20 students. Members of this consortium are specialist therapists, researchers and lecturers working in the area of stuttering and cluttering, drawn from 13 universities and colleges in 9 EU countries, along with two associate partners from Centers of Excellence for working the people with stuttering and cluttering. The one-year intensive course leads to a qualification as an ECSF-recognized Stuttering and Cluttering Therapist, a significant step towards becoming a stuttering and cluttering specialist. This unique graduate course, comprising of 25 ECTS, encompasses clinical and academic components.
The process of becoming a Certified European Stuttering Specialist is open to ECSF graduates as well as eligible clinicians and academics with special interest in stuttering and cluttering. This process involves documentation re. clinical and/or academic activities, continued professional development activities, and discussion groups, within a time frame of three years.
The CESS Board reviews the documentation, approves applications in accordance with stated criteria and registers the applicant accordingly. The process of certification involves the following steps (The whole process is done via the ‘online logbook’ under ‘my Profile’. The provided documents under ‘the downloads’ are merely for informative purposes. Only Appendix A & D need to be downloaded, completed and scanned.)
1. Applicants must complete the initial online form (as described in Document ‘Step 1’) informing the Certified European Stuttering Specialist Board of the intention to acquire Certified European Stuttering Specialist status. This includes proof of eligibility and initial payment for non-ECSF graduates (€50 non-refundable). Payment is made via Mollie.
2. Once informed of eligibility, candidates will undertake the specified activities (as described in Document ‘Step 2’) within a 3-year period, then completing and submitting documentation for review.
3. Once approved, the certification process is complete and the person can use the title of Certified European Stuttering Specialist.
4. To maintain certification, Certified European Stuttering Specialists must pay €50 annually by September 1st. Every three years, the Certified European Stuttering Specialist needs to document the required activities (as described in document ‘Step3’) in the online logbook and submit it for review to maintain certification.