2007 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the
Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology
Revised March 2009
The 2007 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the
Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology went into effect
for all audiology applicants whose applications for certification
were received beginning January 1, 2008.
cite as: Council For Clinical Certification in
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2007).
2007 Standards for the Certificate of Clinical Competence
in Audiology, Revised March 2009.
Retrieved [date] from
http://www.asha.org/about/membership-certification/certification/aud_standards_new.htm
Current Revisions
The Council For Clinical Certification (CFCC) made
revisions to implementation language only
during its March 2009 meeting. You can read the
full list
of revisions
or view the sections that have been updated:
The Standards for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in
Audiology are shown in bold. The Council For Clinical
Certification implementation procedures follow each standard.
Standard I - Degree
Standard II - Institution
Standard III - Program of Study
Standard IV - Knowledge and Skills
Outcomes
Standard V - Assessment
Standard VI - Maintenance of
Certification
Applicants for certification must have a minimum of 75
semester credit hours of post-baccalaureate education
culminating in a doctoral or other recognized graduate degree.
The course of study must address the knowledge and skills
pertinent to the field of audiology. This transitional standard
will be in effect from January 1, 2007, through January 1,
2012, at which time applicants for certification must have a
doctoral degree.
Implementation:
Verification of the graduate degree is required of the
applicant before the certificate is awarded. Degree verification
is accomplished by submitting: (a) an application signed by the
director of the graduate program, indicating the degree date, and
(b) an official transcript showing that the degree has been
awarded, or a letter from the program director or university
registrar confirming that all requirements for the degree have
been completed and indicating the date the degree will be
conferred. Individuals educated outside the United States or its
territories must submit official transcripts and evaluations of
their degrees and courses to verify equivalency.
The graduate program director must verify satisfactory
achievement of the knowledge and skills requirements.
The graduate degree must be granted by a regionally
accredited university.
Implementation:
The university must be accredited by one of the following:
Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of
Colleges and Schools; Commission on Institutions of Higher
Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges;
Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools; Commission on Colleges,
Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges; Commission on
Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; and
Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities,
Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Individuals educated outside the United States or its
territories must submit documentation that course work was
completed in an institution of higher education regionally
accredited or recognized by the appropriate regulatory authority
for that country.
- The graduate education in audiology must be initiated and
completed in a program accredited by the Council on Academic
Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA)
of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Satisfactory completion of academic course work, clinical
practicum, and knowledge and skills requirements must be verified
by the signature of the program director or official designee of
a CAA- accredited program or a program admitted to CAA candidacy.
The graduate education program in audiology must be accredited by
the CAA.
Automatic Approval.
If the graduate education program of study is completed in a
CAA-accredited program and if the program director or official
designee verifies that all knowledge and skills requirements have
been met under current standards, approval of the application is
automatic provided that the application for the Certificate of
Clinical Competence is received by the National Office no more
than three years after the degree is awarded. Applicants eligible
for automatic approval must submit an official graduate
transcript that verifies the date the graduate degree was
awarded.
Evaluation Required.
The following categories of applicants must submit a completed
application for certification, which includes the Knowledge and
Skills Acquisition (KASA) summary form, for evaluation by the
Council For Clinical Certification (CFCC):
- those who apply more than three years after the
completion of the graduate degree from a CAA-accredited
program;
- those who were graduate students and were continuously
enrolled in a CAA program that had its accreditation
withdrawn during the applicant's enrollment;
- those who satisfactorily completed graduate course work,
clinical practicum, and knowledge and skills requirements in
the area for which certification is sought in a program that
held candidacy status for accreditation;
- those who satisfactorily completed graduate course work,
clinical practicum, and knowledge and skills requirements in
the area for which certification is sought in a program that
was not accredited at the time the individual was enrolled,
but which became accredited at a later date;
- those who satisfactorily completed graduate course work,
clinical practicum, and knowledge and skills requirements in
speech-language pathology in a CAA program, but: 1) received
a graduate degree from a program not accredited by CAA, 2)
received a graduate degree in a related area, or 3) received
a graduate degree from a non-U.S. institution of higher
education.
The graduate program director, or designee, must
verify satisfactory completion of both undergraduate and graduate
academic course work, clinical practicum, and knowledge and
skills requirements. Applicants needing to be evaluated must
submit both graduate and undergraduate transcripts for all
courses being submitted for certification purposes.
Applicants for certification must complete a program of
graduate study (a minimum of 75 semester credit hours) that
includes academic course work and a minimum of 12 months'
full-time equivalent of supervised clinical practicum sufficient
in depth and breadth to achieve the knowledge and skills outcomes
stipulated in Standard IV. The supervision must be provided by
individuals who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)
in the appropriate area of practice.
Implementation:
The program of study must address the knowledge and skills
pertinent to the field of audiology. The applicant must maintain
documentation of course work demonstrating that the requirements
in this standard have been met. The minimum 75 semester credit
hours may include credit earned for course work, clinical
practicum, research, and/or thesis/dissertation. Verification is
accomplished by submitting an official transcript indicating that
the minimum credit hours have been completed.
Clinical practicum must be approved by an academic program.
The applicant must maintain documentation of time spent in
supervised practicum, verified by the program in accordance with
Standard IV.
Students shall participate in practicum only after they have
had sufficient preparation to qualify for such experience.
Students must obtain a variety of clinical practicum experiences
in different work settings and with different populations so that
the applicant can demonstrate skills across the scope of practice
in audiology. Acceptable clinical practicum experience includes
clinical and administrative activities directly related to
patient care. The aggregate total of clinical experiences should
equal 52 work weeks. A week of clinical practicum is defined as a
minimum of 35 hours per week in direct patient/client contact,
consultation, record keeping, and administrative duties relevant
to audiology service delivery. Time spent in clinical practicum
experiences should occur throughout the graduate program.
Supervision must be sufficient to ensure the welfare of the
patient and the student in accordance with the ASHA Code of
Ethics. Supervision of clinical practicum must include direct
observation, guidance, and feedback to permit the student to
monitor, evaluate, and improve performance and to develop
clinical competence. The amount of supervision must also be
appropriate to the student's level of training, education,
experience, and competence. Supervisors must hold a current CCC
in the appropriate area of practice. The supervised activities
must be within the scope of practice of audiology to count
towards certification.
Applicants for certification must have a foundation of
prerequisite knowledge and skills. Applicants for certification
must have acquired knowledge and developed skills in four areas:
foundations of practice, prevention and identification,
evaluation, and treatment.
Implementation:
The applicant shall assess results that demonstrate
acquisition of knowledge and skills delineated in Standards IV-A,
IV-B, IV-C, IV-D, and IV-E, respectively. This documentation must
be maintained and verified by the program director or official
designee and shall be made available upon request.
Standard IV-A: Prerequisite Knowledge and
Skills
A1.
The applicant must have prerequisite skills in oral and written
or other forms of communication.
Implementation:
The applicant must demonstrate communication skills sufficient
to achieve effective clinical and professional interaction with
clients/patients and relevant others. For oral communication, the
applicant should demonstrate speech and language skills in
English, which, at a minimum, are consistent with ASHA's most
current position statement on students and professionals who
speak English with accents and nonstandard dialects. For written
communication, the applicant must be able to write and comprehend
technical reports, diagnostic and treatment reports, treatment
plans, and professional correspondence.
Individuals educated outside the United States or its
territories must meet the criteria required by the International
Commission of Healthcare Professions (ICHP) in order to meet this
standard.
A2. The applicant must have prerequisite skills and knowledge of
life sciences, physical sciences, behavioral sciences, and
mathematics.
Implementation:
The applicant must demonstrate through transcript credit
(which could include course work, advanced placement, CLEP, or
examination of equivalency) knowledge and skills in the areas
delineated in this standard. Appropriate course work could
include human anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy and
neurophysiology, genetics, physics, inorganic and organic
chemistry, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and non-remedial
mathematics. The intent of this standard is to require students
to have a broad liberal arts and science background, in addition
to knowledge of life sciences and physical sciences specifically
related to communication sciences and disorders. Therefore,
science courses in speech-language pathology may
not
be counted for certification purposes in both this category and
the professional areas. In addition to transcript credit,
applicants may be required by their graduate program to provide
further evidence of meeting this requirement.
Standard IV-B: Foundations of Practice
The applicant must have knowledge of:
B1. Professional codes of ethics and
credentialing
B2. Patient characteristics (e.g., age, demographics,
cultural and linguistic diversity, medical history and status,
cognitive status, and physical and sensory abilities) and how
they relate to clinical services
B3. Educational, vocational, and social and
psychological effects of hearing impairment and their impact on
the development of a treatment program
B4. Anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and
embryology, and development of the auditory and vestibular
systems
B5. Normal development of speech and language
B6. Phonologic, morphologic, syntactic, and pragmatic
aspects of human communication associated with hearing
impairment
B7. Normal processes of speech and language production
and perception over the life span
B8. Normal aspects of auditory physiology and behavior
over the life span
B9. Principles, methods, and applications of
psychoacoustics
B10. Effects of chemical agents on the auditory and
vestibular systems
B11. Instrumentation and bioelectrical hazards
B12. Infectious/contagious diseases and universal
precautions
B13. Physical characteristics and measurement of
acoustic stimuli
B14. Physical characteristics and measurement of
electric and other nonacoustic stimuli
B15. Principles and practices of research, including
experimental design, statistical methods, and application to
clinical populations
B16. Medical/surgical procedures for treatment of
disorders affecting auditory and vestibular systems
B17. Health care and educational delivery
systems
B18. Ramifications of cultural diversity on
professional practice
B19. Supervisory processes and procedures
B20. Laws, regulations, policies, and management
practices relevant to the profession of audiology
B21. Manual communication, use of interpreters, and
assistive technology
Implementation:
The applicant must demonstrate the acquisition of the
knowledge referred to in this Standard.
Standard IV-C: Prevention and Identification
The applicant must be competent in the prevention and
identification of auditory and vestibular disorders. At a
minimum, applicants must have the knowledge and skills
necessary to:
C1. Interact effectively with patients, families, other
appropriate individuals, and professionals
C2. Prevent the onset and minimize the development of
communication disorders
C3. Identify individuals at risk for hearing
impairment
C4. Screen individuals for hearing impairment and
disability/handicap using clinically appropriate and culturally
sensitive screening measures
C5. Screen individuals for speech and language
impairments and other factors affecting communication function
using clinically appropriate and culturally sensitive screening
measures
C6. Administer conservation programs designed to reduce
the effects of noise exposure and of agents that are toxic to
the auditory and vestibular systems
Implementation:
The applicant must demonstrate the acquisition of the
knowledge and skills referred to in this Standard.
Standard IV-D: Evaluation
The applicant must be competent in the evaluation of
individuals with suspected disorders of auditory, balance,
communication, and related systems. At a minimum, applicants
must have the knowledge and skills necessary to:
D1. Interact effectively with patients, families, other
appropriate individuals and professionals
D2. Evaluate information from appropriate sources to
facilitate assessment planning
D3. Obtain a case history
D4. Perform an otoscopic examination
D5. Determine the need for cerumen removal
D6. Administer clinically appropriate and culturally
sensitive assessment measures
D7. Perform audiologic assessment using physiologic,
psychophysical and self-assessment measures
D8. Perform electrodiagnostic test procedures
D9. Perform balance system assessment and determine the
need for balance rehabilitation
D10. Perform aural rehabilitation assessment
D11. Document evaluation procedures and
results
D12. Interpret results of the evaluation to establish
type and severity of disorder
D13. Generate recommendations and referrals resulting
from the evaluation process
D14. Provide counseling to facilitate understanding of
the auditory or balance disorder
D15. Maintain records in a manner consistent with legal
and professional standards
D16. Communicate results and recommendations orally and
in writing to the patient and other appropriate
individual(s)
D17. Use instrumentation according to
manufacturer's specifications and recommendations
D18. Determine whether instrumentation is in
calibration according to accepted standards
Implementation:
The applicant must demonstrate the acquisition of the
knowledge and skills referred to in this Standard.
Standard IV-E: Treatment
The applicant must be competent in the treatment of
individuals with auditory, balance, and related communication
disorders. At a minimum, applicants must have the knowledge and
skills necessary to:
E1. Interact effectively with patients, families, other
appropriate individuals, and professionals
E2. Develop and implement treatment plan using
appropriate data
E3. Discuss prognosis and treatment options with
appropriate individuals
E4. Counsel patients, families, and other appropriate
individuals
E5. Develop culturally sensitive and age-appropriate
management strategies
E6. Collaborate with other service providers in case
coordination
E7. Perform hearing aid, assistive listening device,
and sensory aid assessment
E8. Recommend, dispense, and service prosthetic and
assistive devices
E9. Provide hearing aid, assistive listening device,
and sensory aid orientation
E10. Conduct aural rehabilitation
E11. Monitor and summarize treatment progress and
outcomes
E12. Assess efficacy of interventions for auditory and
balance disorders
E13. Establish treatment admission and discharge
criteria
E14. Serve as an advocate for patients, families, and
other appropriate individuals
E15. Document treatment procedures and results
E16. Maintain records in a manner consistent with legal
and professional standards
E17. Communicate results, recommendations, and progress
to appropriate individual(s)
E18. Use instrumentation according to
manufacturer's specifications and recommendations
E19. Determine whether instrumentation is in
calibration according to accepted standards
Implementation:
The applicant must demonstrate the acquisition of the
knowledge and skills referred to in this Standard.
Applicants for certification must demonstrate
successful achievement of the knowledge and skills delineated
in Standard IV by means of both formative and summative
assessments.
Standard V-A: Formative Assessment
The applicant must meet the education program's
requirements for demonstrating satisfactory performance through
ongoing formative assessment of knowledge and skills.
Implementation:
Formative assessment yields critical information for
monitoring an individual's acquisition of knowledge and
skills. Therefore, to ensure that the outcomes stipulated in
Standard IV-B, IV-C, IV-D, and IV-E are effectively pursued in a
systematic manner, academic and clinical educators must have
assessed developing knowledge and skills throughout the
applicant's program of graduate study. Applicants may also be
part of the process through self-assessment. Applicants and
program faculties should use the ongoing assessment to help the
applicant achieve requisite knowledge and skills. Thus,
assessments should be followed by implementation of strategies
for acquisition of knowledge and skills.
The applicant must adhere to the academic program's
formative assessment process and will maintain records verifying
ongoing formative assessment. The applicant shall make these
records available to the Council For Clinical Certification upon
its request. Documentation of formative assessment may take a
variety of forms, such as checklists of skills, records of
students' progress in clinical skill development, portfolios,
and statements of achievement of academic and practicum course
objectives, among others.
Standard V-B: Summative
Assessment
The applicant must pass the national examination
adopted by ASHA for purposes of certification in
audiology.
Implementation:
Summative assessment is a comprehensive examination of
learning outcomes at the culmination of professional preparation.
Evidence of a passing score on the ASHA-approved national
examination in audiology must be submitted to the ASHA National
Office by the testing agency administering the examination.
Exam results submitted for initial certification in audiology
must have been obtained no more than five (5) years prior to the
submission of the certification application.
Demonstration of continued professional development is
mandated for maintenance of the Certificate of Clinical
Competence in Audiology. The renewal period will be three years.
This standard will apply to all certificate holders, regardless
of the date of initial certification.
Implementation:
Individuals who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence
(CCC) in Audiology must accumulate 30 contact hours of
professional development over the 3-year period in order to meet
this standard. Individuals will be subject to random review of
their professional development activities.
If renewal of certification is not accomplished within the
3-year period, certification will lapse. Re-application for
certification will be required, and certification standards in
effect at the time of re-application must be met.
In preparation, accrual and submission of the professional
development activities during the certification maintenance
interval, all activities must be guided by adherence to the ASHA
Code of Ethics.
Continued professional development may be demonstrated through
one or more of the following options:
- Accumulation of 3 continuing education units (CEUs) (30
contact hours) from continuing education (CE) providers
approved by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
(ASHA). ASHA CEUs may be earned through group activities (e.g.,
workshops, conferences), independent study (e.g., course
development, research projects, internships, attendance at
educational programs offered by non-ASHA CE providers), and
self-study (e.g., videotapes, audiotapes, journals);
- Accumulation of 3 CEUs (30 contact hours) from a provider
authorized by the International Association for Continuing
Education and Training (IACET);
- Accumulation of 2 semester hours (3 quarter-hours) from a
college or university that holds regional accreditation or
accreditation from an equivalent nationally recognized or
governmental accreditation authority;
- Accumulation of 30 contact hours from employer-sponsored
in-service or other continuing education activities that
contribute to professional development.
The ASHA Clinical Certification Standards define professional
development as an instructional activity
- where the certificate holder is the learner;
- that is related to the science or contemporary practice of
speech-language pathology, audiology, and/or the
speech/language/hearing sciences;
- that results in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills
or the enhancement of current knowledge and skills necessary
for independent practice in any practice setting and area of
practice;
- where the certificate holder is responsible for determining
that the professional development activity is appropriate,
relevant and meaningful to any practice setting and area of
practice;
- in which the certificate holder's participation can be
documented by a third party such as an employer, educational
institution, or sponsoring organization.
| If you were initially
certified (or reinstated): |
You will accumulate
professional development hours between: |
Your next maintenance interval* is:
|
| Before January 1, 1980 |
January 1, 2003, and December 31,
2005 |
2006-2008 |
| Between January 1, 1980, and
December 31, 1989 |
January 1, 2004, and December 31,
2006 |
2007-2009 |
| Between January 1, 1990, and
December 31, 2002 |
January 1, 2005, and December 31,
2007 |
2008-2010 |
| In 2003 |
January 1, 2004, and December 31,
2006 |
2007-2009 |
| In 2004 |
January 1, 2005, and December 31,
2007 |
2008-2010 |
* Certification maintenance is an ongoing process; once you
successfully complete your current maintenance interval, another
will be assigned for you in which you'll repeat the same
certification maintenance requirements until, for example, you
retire and become inactive or no longer desire to remain
certified. Your next maintenance interval is determined by
several key factors: 1) timely completion of your professional
development hours, 2) timely completion of your certification
maintenance form, 3) keeping current on your dues every year, and
4) the possibility that you may request a one-time change of your
maintenance interval (causing your next interval to begin sooner
than previously scheduled).
Please note:
If certification is not maintained through payment of annual
dues/fees and timely completion of professional development
hours, certification will lapse and, should certification be
reinstated, a new interval would be assigned.