Mandated reporting for SLPs and occupational therapists: prepare before a concern arises

Find your state’s reporting instructions, know where a report goes, and plan how to communicate a concern without taking on the investigator’s role.

Start here: Reporting requirements vary by state and setting. Before you need them, find your state’s current child-protection reporting instructions and your workplace procedure. Check who receives a report, what information they ask for, and the applicable timing. A workplace discussion should not delay a report required by your state.

ASHA notes that many states consider speech-language pathologists mandated reporters when child abuse or neglect is suspected and advises checking the state’s guidance. The federal Children’s Bureau explains that states differ in which professionals must report and the reporting process. Check the requirements that apply to your profession, setting and location.

Before a session: make a short reference

Save the current contact information for the agency that receives reports in your state, along with the state’s own reporting instructions.
Know your workplace’s internal contact and how to reach them. Check how its procedure fits alongside any reporting obligation that applies to you.
Find the state’s guidance on what information to provide and how to document your observations while protecting confidentiality.

When you have a concern

Consult your state’s current instructions promptly. The Children’s Bureau explains that a reporter’s role is not to determine with certainty whether maltreatment occurred; child-protection professionals assess reports. Share the information requested by the appropriate agency and record your own observations according to your setting’s rules.

If an SLP and an OT both work with a child, they can plan in advance how to share relevant information appropriately and identify their own reporting responsibilities. Do not assume that speaking with a colleague replaces a report required of you.

Explore a recorded discussion

Compassionate Mandated Reporting Across Disciplines — $39 is a recorded discussion of suspected abuse and neglect, disclosures and reporting conversations. Use your current state guidance for the requirements that apply to you.

Sources

ASHA: Counseling in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.
Children’s Bureau: Child Abuse and Neglect: What Educators Should Know.
Child Welfare Information Gateway: Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect, state-law overview current through May 2023.

Reviewed November 12, 2026.