Li Rong Lilly Cheng Boeken

Professionals and training supervisors from many parts of the globe have contributed to this special issue. It provides a revision of education guidelines for speech-language pathologists (SLP). The discussions to establish them have taken the members of the education committee of logopedics of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) two years. The purpose was to provide a standard for individuals in those countries and regions that are planning to establish an initial education program in speech-language pathology. In addition, emerging issues surrounding the education of SLP globally are discussed. Also topics dealing with services needed in underserved areas are presented. These guidelines are important for speech professionals and administrators planning to build an education program in speech, language and hearing in developing countries. Further, it is interesting to all professionals who would like to keep themselves up to date on emerging issues in the global education of SLP.

Special Topic Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica 2006, Vol. 58, No. 1 The global development of speech pathology education differs from region to region. Countries such as Iraq are barely capable of meeting basic needs while countries such as Sweden provide health coverage for their entire populace. Whereas Burma is going through political unrest and therefore very little information is available the United States are going online. These disparities and differences are continuing to challenge the education committee of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP). This special issue is devoted to the education of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) from global perspectives. The first three articles give an overview of the state-of-the-art in SLP education in the US on different educational levels. Other contributions report on the experiences from Brazil, Scandinavia, UK, the Maltese Islands, Australia and Japan. It is the purpose of this publication to share the multiplicity of experiences made in the education of SLPs worldwide with educators, clinicians, researchers, and service providers in speech language pathology.

In this issue the editors have reviewed the limited information from non-Western cultures on the development of training programs in human communication and its disorders. In this respect it is not only essential to take into account that 'what is important for one culture may not be of central interest for another' but also the equally challenging and diverse needs for services in developing countries. Nevertheless, a few common threads run across the papers included. For instance, many of these regions are bilingual or multilingual/multicultural. Providing services to such linguistically diverse populations is difficult and sometimes impossible. Also, in developing countries logopedic services may not be considered a national priority and thus may not get the attention of the government and policy makers. It is the aim and hope of the editors of this issue that depending on the stage of development, people all over the world will receive adequate services in order to have better quality of life.