A. As used in the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Licensing Act:

1. "Board" means the Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology;

2. "Person" means any individual, partnership, organization or corporation, except that only individuals may be licensed under the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Licensing Act;

3. "Licensed speech-language pathologist", "licensed speech-language pathology fellow", "licensed speech-language pathology assistant" or "licensed audiologist" means an individual to whom a license has been issued pursuant to the provisions of the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Licensing Act, which license has not expired or has not been suspended or revoked;

4. "Speech-language pathologist" (SLP) means any person who represents himself or herself to be a speech-language pathologist and who meets the qualifications set forth in Section 1605 of this title and provides or offers to provide services defined as the practice of speech-language pathology;

5. "Speech-language pathology assistant" (SLPA) means any person who, after acquiring academic coursework, fieldwork, and on-the-job training as set forth by rules promulgated by the Board, performs tasks prescribed, directed, and supervised by licensed speech-language pathologists. The speech-language pathology assistant may implement prescribed therapies in children and adults in specific treatment areas in which he or she has academic and clinical training as prescribed by the Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and under the license of a speech-language pathologist;

6. "Clinical fellow" means an individual who is currently in the process of completing the supervised postgraduate professional paid experience in speech-language pathology as set forth in paragraph 3 of subsection A of Section 1605 of this title;

7. "Speech, voice, swallowing or language disorders" include, but are not limited to, any and all conditions that impede the normal process of human vocal communication;

8. "Feeding or swallowing disorders", also called dysphagia, include difficulty with any step of the feeding or swallowing process. This may include losing food or liquids from the mouth, difficulty chewing or sucking, difficulty protecting the airway, or impaired sensation in the mouth or throat. These impairments may result in a decreased liquid or food intake, choking on food or liquid during eating or drinking, failure to thrive, pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition, or death. Assessment may include a clinical evaluation of swallowing function or an instrumental evaluation of swallowing function to determine the nature and severity of the swallowing impairment, determine the safest and most efficient food and liquid to be swallowed, and establish a treatment plan to improve swallowing function. Treatment may include exercise regimes to rehabilitate muscles or neurological function involved in swallowing, training compensatory strategies or training techniques to improve swallowing safety and function. Treatment may also include the provision of education to individuals, parents, care providers, and others related to feeding/swallowing function;

9. "Practice of speech-language pathology" means the rendering or offering to render to any person or the public any speech, voice, social communication, cognitive communication, feeding or swallowing or language evaluation, examination, counseling or habitation and rehabilitation of or for persons who have or are suspected of having a speech, voice, feeding or swallowing or language disorder, or representing oneself to be a speech-language pathologist or speech-language pathology assistant who meets the qualifications set forth in Section 1605 of this title. Services may also be provided for persons who want to learn how to communicate more effectively including, but not limited to, accent modification and other forms of communication enhancement. A speech-language pathologist is permitted to perform such basic audiometric tests and hearing therapy procedures as are consistent with such training. A speech-language pathology assistant will only perform duties as defined in paragraph 3 of subsection A of Section 1605 of this title and under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist;

10. "Audiologist" means any person who represents himself or herself to be an audiologist and who meets the qualifications set forth in Section 1605 of this title and provides or offers to provide services defined as the practice of audiology;

11. "Hearing disorders" include, but are not limited to, any or all conditions of decreased or impaired auditory function;

12. "Vestibular or balance disorders" include, but are not limited to, any or all conditions of the decreased or impaired vestibular function;

13. "Practice of audiology" means the rendering, or offering to render, to any person or the public, the prevention, identification, assessment, or rehabilitation of or for persons who have or are suspected of having a hearing or balance disorder, or representing oneself to be an audiologist. An audiologist may perform vestibular assessments for those individuals of any age suspected of having a balance disorder and then provide appropriate rehabilitation once diagnosed by a physician. An audiologist may also select, fit and dispense hearing aids and hearing-assistive technology. The audiologist may perform assessments to assist in determining candidacy for special hearing technology such as cochlear implants or bone conduction systems, and provide follow-up services. An audiologist may provide consultation regarding noise control and participate in noise-conservation programs which may include fitting of hearing-protection devices. Audiologists may participate in research related to all of these. An audiologist must meet the qualifications set forth in paragraph 3 of subsection A of Section 1605 of this title;

14. "Hearing screening" means one or more procedures used to identify individuals who may have a hearing loss. Measurements of auditory thresholds are not included in hearing screening programs;

15. "Telepractice" means the practice of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, evaluation and treatment, transfer of medical data or exchange of medical education, information by means of a two-way, real-time interactive communication, not to exclude store-and-forward technologies, between a patient and a speech-language pathologist or audiologist with access to and reviewing the patient's relevant clinical information prior to the teletherapy visit; and

16. "Store-and-forward technologies" means the transmission of a patient's medical information from an originating site to the speech-language pathologist or audiologist at the distant site; provided, photographs visualized by a telecommunications system shall be specific to the patient's medical condition and adequate for furnishing or confirming a diagnosis or treatment plan.

"Telepractice" and "store-and-forward technologies" shall not include consultations provided by telephone, audio-only communication, electronic mail, text message, instant messaging conversation, website questionnaire, nonsecure video conference or facsimile machine.

B. A person represents himself or herself to be a speech-language pathologist when such person holds himself or herself out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words "speech-language pathology", "speech-language pathologist", "speech pathology", "speech pathologist", "speech therapy", "speech therapist", "speech correction", "speech correctionist", "language therapy", "language therapist", "voice pathology", "voice pathologist", "voice therapy", "voice therapist", "logopedics", "logopedist", "communicology", "communicologist", "aphasiologist", "phoniatrist", "speech clinician", "speech clinic", "speech center" or any similar or related term or terms.

C. A person represents himself or herself to be a speech-language pathology assistant when such person holds himself or herself out to the public by any title or description of services as listed for speech-language pathologist and is working under the license of a speech-language pathologist. Anyone not holding credentials for independent practice shall hold the designation of assistant and be required to work under supervision.

D. A person represents himself or herself to be an audiologist when such person holds himself or herself out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the terms "audiology", "audiologist", "audiometry", "audiometrist", "hearing therapy", "hearing therapist", "hearing conservation", "hearing conservationist", "hearing clinician", "hearing clinic", "hearing center", "audiological", "audiometrics", or any similar or related term or terms.

E. The provision of speech-language pathology or audiology services in this state through telepractice, electronic or other means, regardless of the location of the speech-language pathologist shall constitute the practice of speech-language pathology or audiology and shall require licensure in this state.

Added by Laws 1973, c. 203, § 3, emerg. eff. May 17, 1973. Amended by Laws 1998, c. 202, § 3, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 2004, c. 280, § 1, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2018, c. 230, § 1, emerg. eff. May 7, 2018.