Rhode Island Assistants (Support Personnel) Requirements

The following information includes audiology and speech-language pathology assistants and support personnel requirements in educational and other practice settings. The information is reviewed on an annual basis. Please be advised that regulations and policy may change at any time, so always check with your state for the most up-to-date information.

Audiology

School Setting Requirements

Support personnel are not regulated in Rhode Island schools.

Statutory and Regulatory Requirements

Audiometric aides must:

• hold a high school diploma
• receive intensive on-the-job training by the supervising licensed audiologist, in accordance with ASHA or American Academy of Audiology (AAA) guidelines, prior to providing services

Audiometric aides:

• do not act independently and
• are limited to hearing screening with pass/fail criteria.

Supervision

• There must be direct on-site observation of the first 10 hours of direct client contact, and 5% of all clinical sessions after the first 10 hours for every 40 consecutive hours worked and indirect supervision of 5% of each 40 consecutive hours worked. Audiometric aides work under the direction and supervision of an audiologist licensed who has been actively working in the field for 24 months after completion of postgraduate professional experience and who accepts the responsibility for the acts and performances of the audiometric aide.
• A licensed audiologist may supervise three full-time equivalent audiology aides.
• All support personnel must be registered with the Board within 30 days of beginning work.

Speech-Language Pathology

School Setting Requirements

Support personnel are not regulated by the Department of Education in Rhode Island schools but must follow the Department of Health requirements.

Statutory and Regulatory Requirements

1. Speech language support personnel must:
• hold a bachelor's degree and have successfully completed no less than 18 hours of specified graduate credits
• complete 25% of practicum hours required for professional personnel by ASHA
2. All support personnel must be registered with the State Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology (Board) within 30 days of beginning work.
3. All clients must be informed when services are being rendered by support personnel.
4. A licensed speech-language pathologist may supervise one full-time equivalent speech language support personnel.
5. For speech language support personnel, there must be direct on-site observation of the first 10 hours of direct client contact, and 10% of clinical sessions after the first 10 hours of each 40 consecutive hours worked and indirect supervision of 10% of each 40 consecutive hours worked.
6. Speech language support personnel do not act independently and work under the direction and supervision of a licensed speech language pathologist who has been actively working in the field for 24 months after completion of postgraduate professional experience and who accepts the responsibility for the acts and performances of the speech language pathology assistant.
7. Supervising professionals must follow all provisions of the ASHA policy regarding support personnel unless otherwise addressed in these provisions.

Resources

For further information on regulations for speech-language pathology and audiology support personnel in educational and other practice settings, please visit this website:

Regulations for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Support Personnel

To see where your state stands on support personnel licensure trends, please view the trends charts which are updated annually:

• Support Personnel in Schools Settings [PDF]
• Support Personnel Excluding Schools Settings [PDF]

Questions regarding state advocacy issues? Call ASHA at 800-498-2071 and ask for the State Advocacy Team.