36-24-1.6. Scope of audiology. The scope of practice of audiology includes:

(1) Activities that identify, assess, diagnose, manage, and interpret test results related to disorders of human hearing, balance, and other neural systems;

(2) Otoscopic examination and external ear canal management for removal of cerumen in order to evaluate hearing or balance, make ear impressions, fit hearing protection or prosthetic devices, and monitor the continuous use of hearing aids;

(3) The conduct and interpretation of behavioral, electroacoustic, or electrophysiologic methods used to assess hearing, balance, and neural system function;

(4) Evaluation and management of children and adults with central auditory processing disorders;

(5) Supervision and conduct of newborn hearing screening programs;

(6) Measurement and interpretation of sensory and motor evoked potentials, electromyography, and other electrodiagnostic tests for purposes of neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring and cranial nerve assessment;

(7) Provision of hearing care by selecting, evaluating, fitting, facilitating adjustment to, and dispensing prosthetic devices for hearing loss, including hearing aids, sensory aids, hearing assistive devices, alerting and telecommunication systems, and captioning devices;

(8) Assessment of the candidacy of persons with hearing loss for cochlear implants and provision of fitting, programming, and audiological rehabilitation to optimize device use;

(9) Provision of audiological rehabilitation including speech reading, communication management, language development, auditory skill development, and counseling for psychosocial adjustment to hearing loss for persons with hearing loss and their families or caregivers;

(10) Consultation to educators as members of interdisciplinary teams about communication management, educational implications of hearing loss, educational programming, classroom acoustics, and large-area amplification systems for children with hearing loss;

(11) Prevention of hearing loss and conservation of hearing function by designing, implementing, and coordinating occupational, school, and community hearing conservation and identification programs;

(12) Consultation and provision of rehabilitation to persons with balance disorders using habituation, exercise therapy, and balance retraining;

(13) Design and conduct of basic and applied audiologic research to increase the knowledge base, to develop new methods and programs, and to determine the efficacy of assessment and treatment paradigms, and the dissemination of research findings to other professionals and to the public;

(14) Education and administration in audiology graduate and professional education programs;

(15) Measurement of functional outcomes, consumer satisfaction, effectiveness, efficiency, and cost-benefit of practices and programs to maintain and improve the quality of audiological services;

(16) Administration and supervision of professional and technical personnel who provide support functions to the practice of audiology;

(17) Screening of speech-language, use of sign language, and other factors affecting communication function for the purposes of an audiological evaluation or initial identification of individuals with other communication disorders;

(18) Consultation about accessibility for persons with hearing loss in public and private buildings, programs, and services;

(19) Assessment and nonmedical management of tinnitus using biofeedback, masking, hearing aids, education, and counseling;

(20) Consultation to individuals, public and private agencies, and governmental bodies, or as an expert witness regarding legal interpretations of audiology findings, effects of hearing loss and balance system disorders, and relevant noise-related considerations;

(21) Case management and service as a liaison for consumers, families, and agencies in order to monitor audiologic status and management and to make recommendations about educational and vocational programming;

(22) Consultation to industry on the development of products and instrumentation related to the measurement and management of auditory or balance function; and

(23) Participation in the development of professional and technical standards.Source: SL 1997, ch 221, § 7.