Chapter 609-6 SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY AIDE AND AUDIOLOGY ASSISTANTS
Registration as a Speech-Language Pathology Aide. A person who
seeks to assist in the practice of speech-language pathology must apply to the
Board for registration as a speech-language pathology aide. The Board may
approve registration as a speech-language pathology aide upon receipt of
applicable fees and approval of the education and training of the applicant,
the specific duties to be assigned, the amount and nature of the supervision
available, and other factors as deemed relevant by the Board. Training shall
not begin until the application for registration has been approved by the
Board.
| (a) |
Application for
Registration. The person seeking registration as a speech-language pathology
aide and the supervising speech-language pathologist shall submit an
appropriate application to the Board on forms available on the website or the
Board office.
| 1. |
Each application shall be
accompanied by the appropriate fee (see Fee Schedule). Registration fees are
not prorated during the biennial licensure period. |
| 2. |
If the application is approved, the
applicant will be notified in writing that practice as an aide may begin
following completion of the approved training program. |
| 3. |
An application file will become void,
without notification to the applicant, if it has not been completed within six
months of the date the application is received by the Board. |
| 4. |
All speech language pathology aides are
required to register by March 31 of odd numbered years. |
| 5. |
Registration identification cards will be
issued by the Board within three months following approval of the registration
application and the training program. |
| 6. |
Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 43-1-19,
the Board has the authority to refuse to grant a registration as a
speech-language pathology aide if it is in receipt of information that
applicant has practiced without a valid registration. |
|
| (b) |
Minimum Requirements.
| 1. |
Education. The minimum education
requirement is graduation from high school or receipt of a GED certificate. The
speech-language pathology aide applicant shall provide documentation of a high
school diploma, GED certificate, or college transcript to the Board. |
| 2. |
Training.
| (i) |
Training shall not begin until the
application for registration has been approved by the Board. |
| (ii) |
Description. On a form provided by the
Board, the supervisor shall submit a description of a minimum of 40 hours of
proposed instruction in the specific duties that the aide will perform. This
description shall include the ages and diagnoses of the clients for whom the
services are intended, the specific duties trained, and the type and duration
of training. Instruction must be provided by a Georgia licensed speech-language
pathologist or through an accredited educational institution. |
| (iii) |
Scope. Training for aides shall be
defined by and shall be specific to the approved application and the assigned
tasks. The Georgia licensed speech-language pathologist supervisor shall ensure
that the scope and intensity of training will encompass all of the activities
assigned to the aide. Training shall be competency based and provided through a
variety of formal and informal instructional methods. Licensed supervisors
shall inform the aides of their roles, functions, and of any related laws. The
licensed supervisor shall maintain written documentation of training
activities. |
| (iv) |
Verification. The
supervisor shall submit to the Board verification that the training was
completed satisfactorily within thirty (30) working days of the applicant's
employment as a speech-language pathology aide. |
|
|
| (c) |
Supervision.
| 1. |
The supervisor of an aide shall be a
Board-approved Georgia licensed speech-language pathologist who will be known
as the supervisor of record. The aide may provide services only under the known
supervisor(s) of record. If more than one supervisor is to be involved with the
aide, an application shall be submitted by each supervisor. |
| 2. |
The supervisor of record shall:
| (i) |
accept full and complete responsibility
for the duties performed by the aide; |
| (ii) |
maintain the legal and ethical
responsibilities for all assigned activities provided by the aide; |
| (iii) |
make all decisions relating to the
diagnosis, treatment, management and future disposition of the
patient/client(s) served; |
| (iv) |
have
the responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the patient/client(s)
served by the aide; |
| (v) |
be
responsible for the aide's competence to perform Board
approved activities; |
| (vi) |
be responsible for the aide's adherence to the Principles and Standards of
Conduct as defined in Board Rule; and |
| (vii) |
not supervise an immediate family
member. |
|
| 3. |
The
supervisor of record who works full time (more than 34 hours per week) shall
supervise no more than two (2) aides under the provisions of this rule. A
supervisor of record who works part-time (less than 35 hours per week) shall
supervise no more than one (1) aide under the provisions of this
rule. |
| 4. |
The supervisor shall
submit a plan of supervision which will specify the frequency, duration, and
type of supervision he/she will provide to the aide. |
| 5. |
Supervision shall be a culmination of
direct and indirect involvement that will permit verification of adequate
performance that include, but are not limited to, a variety of techniques such
as audio-and/or videotape recordings, telephone communications, conferences,
e-mails, charts, logs and review of numerical data. |
| 6. |
Direct on-site observation of the aide
shall be provided according to the following:
| (i) |
The supervisor of record shall be with
the aide during the first ten (10) hours of direct client contact following
training; and |
| (ii) |
Then shall be
with the aide one hour per week after the first ten (10) hours of direct client
contact. These one hour observations must, over a period of time, include a
sampling of all assigned activities; |
| (iii) |
The direct observation must be
documented. This documentation should include quality of interaction,
performance, accuracy in implementation of assignments, accuracy in recording
data, and the aide's ability to interact effectively with the client. |
| (iv) |
Information obtained during direct
observations shall include response data that is ninety percent (90%) accurate
between the aide and the supervisor of record, on correct-incorrect judgment of
target behavior. |
| (v) |
Whenever
response data falls below the 90% reliability level between the supervisor of
record and the aide, the supervisor of record shall retrain the aide in those
skills. Direct observation shall be increased until the reliability level
returns to 90%. |
|
| 7. |
The
supervisor of record shall retain documentation of all direct and indirect
supervisory activities for two (2) years. |
| 8. |
Prior to services, the patient or family
must be informed in writing, by the supervisor of record, that services will be
rendered by a speech language pathology aide. |
| 9. |
The supervisor shall notify the Board
within ten (10) working days of terminating a supervisor/aide agreement. Upon
termination of a supervisor/aide agreement that particular aide registration
would become void. |
|
| (d) |
Duties and Authorizations.
| 1. |
The aide is
authorized to perform only those duties described on the application as
approved by the Board. |
| 2. |
The aide
is authorized to perform speech-language pathology activities only when the
supervisor of record is in the same. |
| 3. |
The speech language pathology aide shall:
| (i) |
not perform standardized or
non-standardized diagnostic tests, formal or informal evaluations, nor shall
they provide clinical interpretation of test results; |
| (ii) |
not screen patients/clients; |
| (iii) |
not participate in conferences or
counseling sessions regarding the patient/client without the presence of the
supervisor of record or another speech language pathologist designated by the
supervisor of record; |
| (iv) |
not
write, develop, or modify a patient/client's individual treatment
plan. |
| (v) |
not treat
patients/clients without following the individualized treatment plan prepared
by the supervision of record and or the designated speech-language
pathologist; |
| (vi) |
not sign any
formal documents related to speech language pathology; |
| (vii) |
not select patients/clients for
services; |
| (viii) |
not discharge
patients/clients from services; |
| (ix) |
not disclose clinical or confidential
information either orally or in writing to anyone not designated by the
supervisor of record; |
| (x) |
not make
referrals for additional services; |
| (xi) |
not perform any task without the express
knowledge and approval of the supervisor of record; |
| (xii) |
not counsel or consult with the
patient/client, family, or others regarding the patient/client status or
service; |
| (xiii) |
not assist the
supervisor of record by completing a checklist or by tabulating results of a
feeding or swallowing evaluation; |
| (xiv) |
not demonstrate swallowing strategies
or precautions to patients, family, or staff; |
| (xv) |
not make advertisement or public
announcement of services independent of the supervisor of record; |
| (xvi) |
not represent herself/himself as a
practitioner of speech-language pathology; |
|
| 4. |
The speech language pathology aide shall
be clearly identified as a speech language pathology aide by a badge that is to
be worn whenever working as a speech-language pathology aide. |
| 5. |
The aide registration shall become void
when the authorized supervisor(s) is no longer available for
supervision. |
|
| (e) |
Change
of Plan. If the duties and/or authorizations approved by the board change, a
new application, fee and all required documents must be submitted to the board
for consideration before such change can be made. |
| (f) |
Re-registration of speech-language
pathology aides.
| 1. |
All aide registration
shall expire on March 31 of odd numbered years. |
| 2. |
Application and biennial renewal fee (see
Fee Schedule) must be received in the Board Office by March 31 of odd numbered
years. |
| 3. |
An audit shall be
conducted to determine compliance with the direct observation guidelines
enumerated above. A percent of renewal applicants, to be determined by the
Board, shall be requested to submit the documentation of supervision to the
Board by March 31 of odd numbered years. Failure to document the direct
observation and/or to demonstrate compliance with the guidelines shall have the
same effect as a revocation of said aide registration and may subject the
supervisor to disciplinary action. |
| 4. |
Biennial renewal identification cards will
be issued by the Board office within three months following receipt of
acceptable renewal application and renewal fee. |
| 5. |
The failure to renew an aide registration
by March 31 of odd numbered years shall have the same effect as a revocation of
said registration; however, an aide registration may be restored, reissued, or
reinstated at the discretion of the Board. If in its discretion, the Board
denies such a request, such person may submit an application and supportive
documentation to obtain a new registration. At all times, the applicant must
meet the current standards for aide registration. |
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Registration as an Audiology Assistant. An
Audiology Assistant means any person who assists in the providing of those
audiology services authorized by the Board, who meets the minimum requirements
established by the Board and who works under the supervision of a licensed
audiologist.
A person who seeks to assist in the practice of audiology must
apply to the Board for registration as an audiology assistant. The Board may
approve registration as an audiology assistant upon receipt of applicable fees
and approval of the education and training of the applicant, the specific
duties to be assigned, the amount and nature of the supervision available, and
other factors as deemed relevant by the Board. Training shall not begin until
the application for registration has been approved by the Board.
| (a) |
Application for
Registration. The person seeking registration as an audiologist
assistant and the supervising audiologist shall submit an appropriate
application to the Board on forms available on the website or in the Board
office.
| 1. |
Each application shall be
accompanied by the appropriate fee (see Fee Schedule). Registration fees are
not prorated during the biennial licensure period. |
| 2. |
The Audiology assistant application shall
be filed with the Board for approval and the application shall include, but
need not be limited to:
| (i) |
The location(s)
(name and address) where the assistant will work; |
| (ii) |
The business name and address of the
employer of the assistant; |
| (iii) |
A
description of the activities to be performed by the assistant; |
| (iv) |
A description of the training the
assistant will receive that will enable the assistant to perform the planned
activities; |
| (v) |
A description of
the supervision that the assistant will receive in the performance of the
assistant's duties; |
| (vi) |
An
agreement to abide by the Georgia State Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Licensing Act. |
|
| 3. |
If the
application is approved, the applicant will be notified in writing and practice
as an audiologist assistant may begin following completion of the approved
training program. |
| 4. |
An application
file will become void without notification to the applicant if it has not been
completed within six months of the date the application is received by the
Board. |
| 5. |
Registration
identification cards will be issued by the Board office within three months
following approval of the registration application. |
|
| (b) |
Minimum Requirements.
Qualifications for Audiology Assistants shall be:
| 1. |
Education. Documentation by official
transcript of the minimum education requirement of two years of college
education (60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours) and/or an associate's degree
from an accredited college, or completion of a technical school certification
program in health care approved by the Board or completion of an audiology
assistant program approved by the Board. |
| 2. |
Training.
| (i) |
Description. On a form provided by the
Board, the Georgia licensed audiologist supervising the Audiology assistant
shall submit a description of a minimum of forty (40) hours of proposed
instruction in the specific duties that the assistant will perform. This
description shall include the ages and diagnoses of the clients/patients for
whom the services are intended, the specific duties trained, and the duration
of training. Instruction must be provided by a Georgia licensed audiologist or
through an accredited educational institution approved by the Board. Training
for assistants shall be well-defined and specific to the approved application
and the assigned tasks. The Georgia licensed audiology supervisor shall ensure
that the scope and intensity of training encompass all of the activities
assigned to the assistant. Training shall be competency based and provided
through a variety of formal and informal instructional methods. Georgia
licensed supervisors shall provide assistants with information on roles,
functions, and any related laws. Continuing education opportunities shall be
provided to ensure that practices are current and that skills are maintained.
The Georgia licensed supervisor shall maintain written documentation of
training activities. |
| (ii) |
Verification. The supervisor shall submit to the Board within thirty (30) days
verification that the training was completed satisfactorily. An audiologist
assistant shall not begin practice until approved by the Board. |
|
|
| (c) |
Supervision.
| 1. |
The supervisor of an audiology
assistant shall be a Georgia licensed audiologist who is approved as the
supervisor of that assistant. The assistant may provide services only under the
supervision of the licensed audiologist supervisor of record for that
applicant. If more than one supervisor is to be involved with the assistant, an
application shall be submitted by each supervisor. |
| 2. |
The supervisor shall accept full and
complete responsibility for the duties performed by the assistant. The
supervisor of an audiology assistant shall maintain the legal and ethical
responsibilities for all assigned activities provided by the assistant; shall
make all decisions relating to the diagnosis, treatment, management and future
disposition of the patient/client(s) served; and shall have the responsibility
for the health, safety and welfare of the patient/client(s) served by the
assistant. The supervisor shall be responsible for the assistant's competence
to perform board approved activities and adherence to the Principles and
Standards of Conduct as defined by Chapter 609-4. |
| 3. |
The supervisor who works full time or more
than 35 hours per week shall supervise no more than two (2) assistants under
the provisions of this rule. A supervisor who works part-time or less than 35
hours per week shall supervise no more than one (1) assistant under the
provisions of this rule. |
| 4. |
The
supervisor shall submit a plan of supervision which shall specify the
frequency, duration, and type of supervision he/she will provide the
assistant. |
| 5. |
Supervision shall
include the personal and direct involvement of the supervisor in any and all
ways that will permit verification of the adequacy of the assistant's
performance. |
| 6. |
Indirect
supervision or observation shall be provided through daily contacts and may
include a variety of techniques such as audio-and/or videotape recordings,
telephone communications, conferences, and review of numerical data. |
| 7. |
Direct on-site observation of the
assistant shall be provided according to the following:
| (i) |
The supervisor shall be with the
assistant during the first ten (10) hours of direct client contact following
training; and |
| (ii) |
The supervisor
shall provide no less than two (2) hours per week of documented direct
supervision, after the first ten (10) hours of direct client contact, to
include a sampling of all assigned activities. Direct supervision means on-site
and in-view supervision as an activity is performed; the direct observation
must be documented and include information on the quality of the aide's
performance. |
| (iii) |
The supervisor
shall provide no less than two (2) hours per week of documented indirect
supervision, to include a sampling of all assigned activities. |
| (iv) |
Information obtained during direct
observations shall include data relative to
| (1) |
agreement (reliability) between the
assistant and the supervisor on correct-incorrect judgment of target
behavior, |
| (2) |
accuracy in
implementation of assessment and management procedures, |
| (3) |
accuracy in recording data, and |
| (4) |
ability to interact effectively with the
client; |
|
| (v) |
Whenever the
assistant's performance is judged to be unsatisfactory over two consecutive
observations, the assistant shall be retrained in the necessary skills and
direct observation shall be increased 100% of all sessions until the
assistant's performance is judged to be satisfactory over two consecutive
sessions. |
|
| 8. |
The
supervisor shall retain documentation of all direct and indirect supervisory
activities for two (2) years, and shall include information on the quality of
the assistant's performance; |
| 9. |
The
supervisor shall notify the Board of any changes in the approved application
required in Board Rules as a condition of registration, including termination
of employment for either party. The supervisor shall notify the Board within
ten (10) working days of terminating a supervisor/assistant agreement. Failure
to notify the Board of a change or termination of an approved registration
application shall be grounds for discipline in accordance with Board Rules.
Supervision of an unregistered assistant shall be aiding and abetting
unlicensed practice and shall be grounds for discipline in accordance with
Board Rules. |
|
| (d) |
Duties and Authorizations.
| 1. |
The audiology assistant is authorized to perform only those duties described on
the application and approved by the Board. |
| 2. |
After appropriate training and
demonstration of competency, the types of services an Audiology assistant can
perform include, but are not limited to:
| (i) |
equipment maintenance, |
| (iii) |
electroacoustic
analysis, real ear measurements, other verification methods of hearing
aids, |
| (iv) |
hearing screening on a
pass/fail basis, |
| (v) |
preparation of
patient for electrophysiologic and balance testing, |
| (vi) |
hearing conservation and assisting the
audiologist in testing, |
| (viii) |
assisting in
clinical research, |
| (ix) |
clerical
duties and other administrative support functions |
|
| 3. |
Authorized duties of an audiology
assistant shall NOT include:
| (i) |
Performing
diagnostic testing; |
| (ii) |
Dispensing
hearing aids; |
| (iii) |
Selection of a
hearing aid; |
| (iv) |
Making ear mold
impressions; |
| (v) |
Fitting a hearing
aid (i.e. including but not limited to initial programming or changes to
prescribed programming; |
| (vi) |
Determining the suitability of hearing aids; |
| (vii) |
Interpreting observations or data into
diagnostic statements of clinical management strategies or
procedures; |
| (viii) |
Determining case
selection; |
| (ix) |
Initiating,
modifying, planning or developing therapy procedures; |
| (x) |
Implementing therapy
procedures; |
| (xi) |
Functioning
without supervision; |
| (xii) |
Transmitting clinical information; either verbally or in writing to anyone
without the approval of the licensed supervisor of record; |
| (xiii) |
Composing clinical reports except for
notes to be reviewed by the supervisor and help in the patient's/client's
records; |
| (xiv) |
Referring a
patient/client to other professionals or agencies; |
| (xv) |
Referring to himself or herself either
orally or in writing with a title other than "audiology assistant"; |
| (xvi) |
Signing any formal documents such as
treatment plans, reimbursement forms or reports; |
| (xvii) |
Discharging a patient/client from
services; |
| (xviii) |
Communicating
with the patient/client, family, or others regarding any aspect of
patient/client status or service without the specific consent of the supervisor
and in accordance with the application approved by the Board; |
| (xix) |
Acting for the licensed person at
treatment team meetings or in any matter related to direct care of
patients/clients which requires judgment or decision-making; |
| (xx) |
Providing consultation, counseling,
recommendation for assessment, assessment, treatment protocols,
results/outcomes, recommendations, treatment/intervention plans, or
patient/client referrals on any matter regarding care of
patients/clients; |
| (xxi) |
Providing
professional training of other staff; |
| (xxii) |
Providing program review for
individualized habilitation plans or other forms of care planning for
patients/clients; |
| (xxiii) |
Supervising or managing infant hearing screening programs or occupational
hearing conservation/prevention programs. The supervision and management of
infant hearing screening programs and occupational hearing
conservation/prevention screening programs must be performed by a licensed
audiologist; |
| (xiv) |
Performing any
duties not prescribed in the approved registration application nor working for
any other audiologist who is not specified as the supervisor on the approved
registration application; |
| (xv) |
Performing any duties without proper training; and using influence in clinical
matters, when the assistant is the owner of a practice/business providing
services, while being supervised by an employee or consultant of their
business/practice. |
|
| 4. |
The
audiology assistant shall not represent herself/himself as a practitioner of
audiology, and shall be clearly identified as an audiology assistant by a badge
worn during all contact with patients/clients. |
| 5. |
When services are to be rendered by an
audiology assistant, the patient or family must be informed in
writing. |
| 6. |
The audiology assistant
shall not make advertisement or public announcement of services independent of
the supervisor. |
| 7. |
The audiology
assistant registration shall become void when the authorized supervisor is no
longer available for supervision. |
| 8. |
Any experience obtained while acting as an
audiology assistant shall not be creditable toward the supervised clinical
experience required in Rule
609-3-.01(c) or the
professional experience required in
609-3-.01(d). |
|
| (e) |
Renewal.
| 1. |
All Audiology assistant registration shall
expire on March 31 of odd numbered years. |
| 2. |
Application and biennial renewal fee (see
Fee Schedule) must be received in the Board Office by March 31 of odd numbered
years. |
| 3. |
An audit shall be
conducted to determine compliance with the direct observation guidelines
enumerated above. A percent of renewal applicants, to be determined by the
Board, shall be requested to submit the documentation of supervision to the
Board by March 31 of odd numbered years. Failure to document the direct
observation and/or to demonstrate compliance with the guidelines shall have the
same effect as a revocation of said assistant registration and may subject the
supervisor to disciplinary action. |
| 4. |
Audiology assistants must complete ten
(10) hours of continuing education per biennium. |
| 5. |
Biennial renewal identification cards will
be issued by the Board office within three months following receipt of
acceptable renewal application and renewal fee. |
| 6. |
The failure to renew an Audiology
assistant registration by March 31 of odd numbered years shall have the same
effect as a revocation of said registration; however, an assistant registration
may be restored, reissued, or reinstated at the discretion of the Board. If in
its discretion, the Board denies such a request, such person may submit an
application and supportive documentation to obtain a new registration. If
required to do so, the applicant must meet the current standards for aide
registration. |
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