Effective: January 21, 2018
Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
No person is eligible for licensure as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist unless:
(A) The person has obtained a broad general education to serve as a background for the person's specialized academic training and preparatory professional experience. Such background may include study from among the areas of human psychology, sociology, psychological and physical development, the physical sciences, especially those that pertain to acoustic and biological phenomena, and human anatomy and physiology, including neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.
(B) If the person seeks licensure as a speech-language pathologist, the person submits to the state speech and hearing professionals board an official transcript demonstrating that the person has at least a master's degree in speech-language pathology or the equivalent as determined by the board. The person's academic credit must include course work accumulated in the completion of a well-integrated course of study approved by the board and delineated by rule dealing with the normal aspects of human communication, development and disorders thereof, and clinical techniques for the evaluation and the improvement or eradication of such disorders. The course work must have been completed at colleges or universities accredited by regional or national accrediting organizations recognized by the board.
(C) Except as provided in division (F)(1)(b) of this section, if the person seeks licensure as an audiologist, the person submits to the board an official transcript demonstrating that the person has at least a doctor of audiology degree or the equivalent as determined by the board. The person's academic credit must include course work accumulated in the completion of a well-integrated course of study approved by the board and delineated by rules dealing with the normal aspects of human hearing, balance, and related development and clinical evaluation, audiologic diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of human hearing, balance, and related development. The course work must have been completed in an audiology program that is accredited by an organization recognized by the United States department of education and operated by a college or university accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the board.
(D) The person submits to the board evidence of the completion of appropriate, supervised clinical experience in the professional area, speech-language pathology or audiology, for which licensure is requested, dealing with a variety of communication disorders. The appropriateness of the experience shall be determined under rules of the board. This experience shall have been obtained in an accredited college or university, in a cooperating program of an accredited college or university, or in another program approved by the board.
(E) The person submits to the board evidence that the person has passed the examination for licensure to practice speech-language pathology or audiology pursuant to division (B) of section 4753.05 of the Revised Code.
(F)(1) In the case of either of the following, the person presents to the board written evidence that the person has obtained professional experience:
(a) The person seeks licensure as a speech-language pathologist;
(b) The person seeks licensure as an audiologist and does not meet the requirements of division (C) of this section regarding a doctor of audiology degree, but before January 1, 2006, the person met the requirements of division (B) of this section regarding a master's degree in audiology as that division existed on December 31, 2005.
(2) The professional experience shall be appropriately supervised as determined by board rule. The amount of professional experience shall be determined by board rule and shall be bona fide clinical work that has been accomplished in the major professional area, speech-language pathology or audiology, in which licensure is being sought. If the person seeks licensure as a speech-language pathologist, this experience shall not begin until the requirements of divisions (B), (D), and (E) of this section have been completed unless approved by the board. If the person seeks licensure as an audiologist, this experience shall not begin until the requirements of division (B) of this section, as that division existed on December 31, 2005, and divisions (D) and (E) of this section have been completed unless approved by the board. Before beginning the supervised professional experience pursuant to this section, the applicant for licensure to practice speech-language pathology or audiology shall obtain a conditional license pursuant to section 4753.071 of the Revised Code.