The following words and phrases when used in this act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Audiologist." Any person who is qualified by education, training and clinical experience and is licensed under this act to engage in the practice of audiology. The audiologist is an independent practitioner providing services in hospitals, clinics, schools, private practices and other settings in which audiologic services are relevant. A person is deemed to be, or to hold himself out as being, an audiologist if he offers such services to the public under any title incorporating the terms "audiology," "audiologist," "audiological consultant," "hearing aid audiologist" or any variation, synonym, coinage or similar title that expresses, employs or implies these terms, names or functions.
"Board." The State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
"Neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring." The process of continual testing and interpreting of results bythe use of electrodiagnostic modalities to identify and monitor the functional integrity of neurological structures to reduce the risk of injury and complications related to the nervous system during a surgical procedure.
"Person." Any individual, organization, association, partnership, company, trust or corporate body, except that only individuals can be licensed under this act. Any reference in this act to a licensed person shall mean a natural individual person.
"Practice of audiology." The application of principles, methods and procedures related to disorders of the auditory and vestibular systems. Areas of audiology practice include the following:
(1) prevention of hearing loss by designing, implementing and coordinating industrial, school and community-based hearing conservation programs;(2) identification of dysfunction of hearing, balance and other auditory-related systems by developing and overseeing hearing and balance-related screening programs for persons of all ages, including newborn and school screening programs;(3) administration of speech or language screening or other measures for the purpose of initial identification and referral of persons with other communicative disorders;(4) assessment and nonmedical diagnosis and treatment of hearing and vestibular disorders through the administration of behavioral, psychoacoustic, electrophysiologic tests of the peripheral and central auditory and vestibular systems using standardized test procedures, including, but not limited to, audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex measures, otoacoustic emissions, auditory evoked potentials, video and electronystagmography and tests of central auditory function using calibrated instrumentation leading to the diagnosis of auditory and vestibular dysfunction abnormality;(5) assessment of candidacy of persons with hearing loss for cochlear implants;(6) nonmedical treatment for persons with impairment of auditory function utilizing amplification and other assistive devices;(7) selection, fitting, evaluation and dispensing of hearing aids and other amplification systems;(8) fitting and mapping of cochlear implant devices and audiologic rehabilitation to optimize device use;(9) fitting of middle ear implantable hearing aids, fully implantable hearing aids and bone-anchored hearing aids;(10) conducting otoscopic examinations;(11) nonmedical treatment of persons with tinnitus using techniques including biofeedback, masking, hearing aids, education and counseling;(12) counseling on the psychosocial aspects of hearing loss and the use of amplification systems;(13) administration of electrophysiologic measures of neural function, including, but not limited to, sensory and motor-evoked potentials, preoperative and postoperative evaluation of neural function, neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring of the central nervous system, spinal cord and cranial nerve function, provided that an audiologist shall not perform neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring except upon delegation from and under the overalldirection of a physician, and the audiologist shall be certified by the board under section 8.1; and(14) referral of persons with auditory and vestibular dysfunction abnormalities to an appropriate physician for medical evaluation when indicated based upon the interpretation of the audiologic and vestibular test results. "Practice of speech-language pathology." The application of principles, methods and procedures of prevention, screening, consultation, identification, assessment and evaluation, determination of disorders and service delivery model, nonmedical treatment and intervention, counseling, collaboration and referral services for persons with known or suspected language, cognitive and linguistic, social, speech (resonance and voice, fluency and sound production), feeding and swallowing, orofacial myofunctional disorders or communication disorders, including, but not limited to:
(1) Elective modification of communication behaviors and enhancement of communication.(2) Identification of nonmedical speech, language, swallowing, cognitive and social aspects of communication by developing and providing speech, language, voice, swallowing, cognitive and social aspects of communication-related screening programs for persons of all ages.(3) Providing nonmedical diagnosis, evaluation and remediation services for disorders of speech, language, voice, swallowing, cognitive and social aspects of communication.(4) Establishing augmentative and alternative communication techniques and strategies, including selecting, recommending and dispensing of augmentative aids and devices.(5) Providing nonmedical services to individuals with hearing loss and their families, that is, auditory training, speech reading and speech and language intervention secondary to hearing loss.(6) Providing hearing screening limited to pass or fail for the purposes of identification of individuals with potential disorders of hearing.(7) The training of individuals, their families and other communication partners in the use, selecting, fitting and establishment of effective use of appropriate prosthetic and adaptive devices for speaking and swallowing.(8) Using instrumental technology to provide nonmedical diagnosis, nonmedical treatment and nonmedical services for disorders of communication, voice and swallowing. The use of instrumental technology by licensed speech-language pathologists is limited to those instruments which relate directly to communication, voice or swallowing disorders.(9) Referral of persons, within 30 days, with speech, language, voice, swallowing, cognitive and social aspects of communication to an appropriate physician for medical evaluation when indicated based upon the interpretation of evaluation results. "Speech-language pathologist." Any person who is qualified by education, training and clinical experience and is licensed under this act to engage in the practice of speech-language pathology and is an independent practitioner providing services in hospitals, clinics, public school entities, nonpublic schools, private practices and other settings in which speech language pathology services are relevant. A person is deemed to be or to hold himself out as being a speech-language pathologist if he offers services and functions defined under this act as the practice of speech- language pathology or offers to treat any disorders that may be treated by a licensed speech-language pathologist under any title incorporating the terms speech-language pathology, speech- language pathologist, speech therapist, voice therapist, aphasiologist, orofacial myologist, dysphagia therapist or any variation, synonym, coinage or similar title that expresses, employs or implies these terms, names or functions.
Amended by P.L. 971 2014 No. 106, § 1, eff. 8/31/2014.1984, Dec. 21, P.L. 1253, No. 238, § 3, effective in 60 days.