Background: The present study is about the factors affecting the professional skills implementation in special education centers. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are responsible for the evaluation and treatment of speech language impediments, however they offer multiple services, such as evaluation and treatment of swallowing problems, impaired cognition, and hearing problems. The failure to maintain an effective professional skills implementation in special education centers so many irreversible, fatal consequences among the speech-language pathologist (SLP).

Objectives: To study the factors affecting the implementation of professional skills in special education centers. To conduct comparisons between female and male regarding the implementation of professional skills in special education centers.

Method: This observational cross sectional study was conducted in special educational centers of district Lahore, Mandibahudin, Sahiwal, Okara and Shekhupura Punjab, Pakistan. The sample size of this research study was consisting of 73 speech therapists. Age range of participants are 21 to 50 years. There are 61 (81.3%) male participants and 14 (18.7%) female participants sample size as per topic need participate in survey. To draw the sample from population, purposive sampling technique was used. Instrument was developed with the help of the literature review and expert opinion about the topic. Content analysis was done to find out reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Duration of research was nine months from May 2020 to January 2021. Study is approved from the institutional review board of The University of Lahore, Ref No: IRB-UOL-FAHS/745-II/2020.

Results: All the factor professional knowledge, Environmental factors affecting professional skills, workload and assessment tools are the positively corralled. The result depicted that significant difference in t (-1.424) p<.000) between the male and female speech-language pathologist. One way ANOVA was used for analysis result showed that there was significant difference (t(198)=-.434 ,sig=.00) among speech therapists responses on the above mentioned factor.

Conclusion: Factors affecting the professional skills implementation in special education like availability, professional knowledge, workload, and assessment tools was significantly difference among male and females speech-language pathologist. In future such detailed studies are recommended to further enhance the factors affecting the professional skills implementation in special education centers. There is also need to improve the policies regarding vaccination and its implementations all over the country.

Keywords: Professional Skills, Speech-language pathologists (SLPs), Special Education Centers, Gender