The Florida Senate

468.1125  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

(1)  "Audiologist" means a person licensed under this part to practice audiology.

(2)  "Board" means the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

(3)  "Certified audiology assistant" means a person who is certified under this part to perform audiology services under the direct supervision of an audiologist.

(4)  "Certified speech-language pathology assistant" means a person who is certified under this part to perform speech pathology services under the direct supervision of a speech pathologist.

(5)  "Department" means the Department of Health.

(6)(a)  "Practice of audiology" means the application of principles, methods, and procedures for the prevention, identification, evaluation, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, treatment, and research, relative to hearing and the disorders of hearing, and to related language and speech disorders. "Disorders" are defined to include any and all conditions, whether of organic or nonorganic origin, peripheral or central, that impede the normal process of human communication, including, but not limited to, disorders of auditory sensitivity, acuity, function, or processing, or damage to the integrity of the physiological system.

(b)  Any audiologist who has complied with the provisions of this part may:

1.  Offer, render, plan, direct, conduct, consult, or supervise services to individuals or groups of individuals who have or are suspected of having disorders of hearing, including prevention, identification, evaluation, treatment, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, and research.

2.  Participate in hearing conservation, evaluation of noise environment, and noise control.

3.  Conduct and interpret tests of vestibular function and nystagmus, electrophysiologic auditory-evoked potentials, central auditory function, and calibration of measurement equipment used for such purposes.

4.  Habilitate and rehabilitate, including, but not limited to, hearing aid evaluation, prescription, preparation, fitting and dispensing, assistive listening device selection and orientation, auditory training, aural habilitation, aural rehabilitation, speech conservation, and speechreading.

5.  Fabricate earmolds.

6.  Evaluate tinnitus.

7.  Include speech and language screening, limited to a pass/fail determination for identifying individuals with disorders of communication.

(7)(a)  "Practice of speech-language pathology" means the application of principles, methods, and procedures for the prevention, identification, evaluation, treatment, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, and research, relative to the development and disorders of human communication; to related oral and pharyngeal competencies; and to behavior related to disorders of human communication. "Disorders" are defined to include any and all conditions, whether of organic or nonorganic origin, that impede the normal process of human communication, including, but not limited to, disorders and related disorders of speech, phonology, articulation, fluency, voice, accent, verbal and written language and related nonoral/nonverbal forms of language, cognitive communication, auditory and visual processing, memory and comprehension, interactive communication, mastication, deglutition, and other oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal sensorimotor competencies.

(b)  Any speech-language pathologist who has complied with the provisions of this part may:

1.  Offer, render, plan, direct, conduct, and supervise services to individuals or groups of individuals who have or are suspected of having disorders of human communication, including identification, evaluation, treatment, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, amelioration, instruction, and research.

2.  Determine the need for personal alternatives or augmentative systems, and recommend and train for the utilization of such systems.

3.  Perform a hearing screening, limited to a pass/fail determination, for the purpose of initial identification of communication disorders.

(8)  "Speech-language pathologist" means a person licensed under this part to practice speech pathology.

(9)  "Direct supervision" means responsible supervision and control by a licensed speech-language pathologist who shall assume legal liability for the services rendered by any certified speech-language pathology assistant under the licensee's supervision, or responsible supervision and control by a licensed audiologist who shall assume legal liability for the services rendered by any certified audiology assistant under the licensee's supervision. Direct supervision shall require the physical presence of the licensed speech-language pathologist for consultation and direction of the actions of the certified speech-language pathology assistant, or the physical presence of the licensed audiologist for consultation and direction of the actions of the certified audiology assistant, unless the assistant is acting under protocols established by the board. The board shall establish rules further defining direct supervision of a certified speech-language pathology assistant or a certified audiology assistant.

History.--ss. 3, 31, ch. 90-134; s. 21, ch. 90-341; ss. 1, 10, ch. 90-345; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 101, ch. 92-149; s. 130, ch. 94-218; s. 112, ch. 97-264.