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Abstract: Approve the (revised) “Scope of Practice in Audiology”
RESOLVED, That the revised “Scope of Practice in Audiology” be approved as policy of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; and further
RESOLVED, That LC 8-95, which approved the 1996 (current) “Scope of Practice in Audiology” be rescinded; and further
RESOLVED, That the revised “Scope of Practice in Audiology” be published in the next annual supplement to The ASHA Leader and that the document be posted on the Web, be made available upon request from the ASHA Action Center, and be included in the next revision of the ASHA Desk Reference
Rationale:This document represents the work of the Coordinating Committee for the ASHA vice president for professional practices in audiology, whose charge was to (a) review the current (1996) “Scope of Practice in Audiology” to identify areas that need updating, revision, clarification, or deletion to reflect current practices and (b) incorporate the language and framework for the description of health as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as developed by the World Health Organization. This framework was helpful in describing the role of audiologists in the prevention, assessment of, and habilitation/rehabilitation of auditory, vestibular, and other related impairments.
The Coordinating Committee fulfilled their charge by drafting proposed revisions to the 1996 “Scope of Practice in Audiology,” which underwent both select and widespread peer review in June and July 2003. Peer reviewed comments were carefully reviewed and further revisions were made to the document.
Audiology is a dynamic and continuously developing profession. The “Scope of Practice in Audiology” is the profession’s fundamental practice policy document from which more specific practice policy documents (e.g., technical reports, position statements, guidelines, and knowledge and skills statements) are derived. This updated and revised “Scope of Practice in Audiology” will help to assure that members of the profession, other service providers, and external audiences (e.g., reimbursement, public policy, and administrative decision-makers) have a clear understanding of the current definition of an audiologist as well as the unique roles and activities of those individual’s who are credentialed to practice audiology.
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