The Association of Speech-Language Therapists and Pathologists of Serbia (ULS) stands as the preeminent and pioneering professional organization of speech-language pathologists in Serbia.
Established on February 28, 2004, in Belgrade, the Association operates as a non-governmental, non-profit entity, officially recognized and registered as a professional association by the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government, as well as the Agency for Business Registers (BU 13829/2010).
ULS is officially registered under the activity code 9412 – Activities of Professional Membership Organizations. According to the national Classification of Activities, this legal status grants the Association a specific mandate to:
- Establish and monitor the application of professional standards in practice.
- Provide representation before government authorities and manage public relations for the profession.
- Disseminate professional and scientific information and support academic and cultural activities related to the discipline.
- Represent the interests of members within their specific professional field.
This registration provides the legal foundation for our Association’s role as the primary body responsible for professional oversight and advocacy in the field of Speech and Language Therapy in Serbia.
Its inception arose from the collective impetus of practicing speech therapists, who discerned the imperative for an association that would effectively address the profession’s needs, resolve prevailing professional challenges, and enhance the stature of speech therapy as a discipline.
ULS, as a national professional association, for 22 years brings together speech and language therapists and pathologists and maintains a strong collaboration with the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation at the University of Belgrade, a leading institution in our field in Serbia. Furthermore, our Executive Board includes esteemed professors from this faculty. We actively collaborate with other professional associations of speech and language pathologists, as well as with faculties of speech and language pathology in the region.
Over the past two decades, we have been dedicated to organizing scientific and professional conferences and providing continuous education for our members, contributing to the advancement of our profession.
Mission statement:
The mission of the Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Therapists of Serbia (ULS) is to advance and protect the speech and language therapy profession by establishing high professional standards and regulating practice in alignment with European and global frameworks. We are committed to initiating comprehensive legislation, empowering our members through continuous professional development, and fostering international cooperation, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the highest quality of care for individuals with communication and swallowing disorders in Serbia.
The Association of Speech-Language Therapists and Pathologists of Serbia has articulated its mission within programmatic and strategic documents, underscoring the imperative to establish speech-language therapy as a vocation of competence, professionalism, and self-sufficiency, serving the needs of our society. To this end, pivotal initiatives have been undertaken, including the formulation of the Law on Speech Therapy profession and the establishment of the Serbian Speech Therapy Chamber.
In the current absence of a formal Law on Speech and Language Therapy in Serbia, the ULS has been actively advocating since its inception for the adoption of a comprehensive legislative framework and bylaws to regulate the profession.
To bridge this regulatory gap, our Association has developed and formally adopted the Code of Ethics for Speech and Language Therapy and the Recommended Standards of Practice. While these documents cannot be legally binding under current state regulations, they serve as the essential professional and moral foundation for our members and all SLT practitioners. By voluntarily adhering to these standards, SLTs in Serbia demonstrate their commitment to professional integrity and the highest quality of service, pending a formal legal mandate.
The fundamental objectives of the Association are:
- Initiating legislation to regulate issues of interest to speech therapists in Serbia in accordance with European and global standards.
- Collecting and processing scientific and professional literature in the field of speech therapy.
- Collaborating with universities, professional associations, and other organizations in Serbia and abroad engaged in issues related to this field.
- Establishing and developing international cooperation.
Within the general program tasks and legal provisions, the Association initiates the following activities:
- Conducting reviews to initiate the adoption of new laws aimed at preventing, addressing, and resolving issues arising from inadequate legal regulations.
- Participating in resolving professional issues of its members.
- Encouraging members to organize scientific and professional conferences.
- Protecting the interests of Association members.
- Implementing an international cooperation program.
- Carrying out programs of common interest for all members.
- Advocating for obtaining licenses that would grant the Association the right to propose a list of supervisors for regular and extraordinary external quality assessments of professional work, in accordance with healthcare law and the law on speech therapy activities.
- Establishing cooperation with relevant supervisory institutions.
- Initiating regulations for internship training, professional exams, and the professional development of speech therapists, as well as defining the conditions that healthcare, educational, and social welfare institutions and private practices must meet to provide internship and specialized training for speech therapists.
- The Association operates within Serbia through branch sections. The branch sections carry out the Association’s activities in accordance with the Statute.
- The area covered by a branch section is regulated by the Association’s Statute.
PRIMARY TASKS OF THE ASSOCIATION
- Advocating for the enactment of legislation governing the practice of speech therapy, thereby providing formal and legal regulation for the profession.
- Engaging in the reevaluation of occupational nomenclature to reflect the evolving nature of the field.
- Pioneering the establishment of standardized speech therapy equipment, thereby enhancing the quality of speech therapy services.
- Enforcing a Code of Ethics and professional conduct applicable to all professionals involved in speech therapy diagnostics and treatment, contributing to the profession’s integrity.
- Developing guidelines and regulations governing ongoing professional development for healthcare associates specializing in speech therapy.
- Overseeing the issuance of licenses, registration, and the definition of criteria for acquiring subsequent licenses.
- Cultivating collaboration with international associations of speech therapists and pursuing membership in the European Association of Speech Therapists.
For further details, please consult the pertinent documents available in the “Documents” section.