Wisconsin 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.

Speech-Language Pathology

School Setting Requirements

Special education aides must hold a Department of Public Instruction license. Hiring requirements are established by individual school districts and may include experience, coursework, etc. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Applications must be requested by employing school district administrator. Licenses are valid for 5 years.

Statutory and Regulatory Requirements

  1. Individuals may assist while under direct supervision of a speech-language pathologist.
  2. Direct supervision means providing direct observation of the clinical services provided by the individual to clients 50% of the time during the first 90 days of employment and 10% thereafter.
  3. Direct supervision also means documented supervision that includes identifying specific roles and tasks for the individual, ensuring that the tasks performed by the individual do not require the exercise of professional judgment or entail interpretation of results or the development or modification of treatment plans and providing appropriate training that is competency-based and specific to job performance.

A speech-language pathologist may supervise up to two full-time equivalent individuals at any given time.

Audiology

School Setting Requirements

Special education aides must hold a Department of Public Instruction license. Hiring requirements are established by individual school districts and may include experience, coursework, etc. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Applications must be requested by employing school district administrator. Licenses are valid for 5 years.

Statutory and Regulatory Requirements

  1. Audiologists must provide comprehensive, periodic, documented supervision of assistants that includes identifying specific roles and tasks for the individual, ensuring that the tasks performed do not require the exercise of professional judgement or entail interpretation of results or the development or modification of treatment plans, and providing appropriate training that is competency-based and specific to job performance.
  2. An audiologist may supervise up to five full-time equivalent individuals at any given time and in industrial settings an audiologists may supervise up to 10 full-time equivalent individuals.

Resources

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

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

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

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