Ohio State Characteristics of Licensure Law

Last Updated June 2008

The information below is collected from state licensure boards or regulatory agencies responsible for regulating the professions of Speech-Language Pathology and/or Audiology. It is intended for informational use only, and should not be construed as legal advice.

Contact the state's licensure board or regulatory agency for exact licensure, certification, or registration requirements in your jurisdiction.

Initial Licensure Requirements

Audiology

Doctor of audiology degree obtained before or after January 1, 2006, or the equivalent from an audiology program accredited by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or at least a master's degree or equivalent obtained prior to January 1, 2006
Note: The educational requirements shall be deemed met when an applicant is certified by the American Board of Audiology.
Applicants applying based on equivalency shall hold a post baccalaureate doctoral degree with a major emphasis in audiology consisting of a minimum of 3 years of didactic coursework, have completed a minimum of 350 clock hours of clinical experience prior to the fourth year of training, have completed a minimum of 2,000 clock hours of clinical extern experience in the fourth year of academic training, have completed a course of study that has included content on ethical practice standards, and have passed examinations approved by the Board.
Supervised professional experience—30 hours per week for 36 weeks full-time or 15 hours per week for 72 weeks. Requirements are deemed to be met when an applicant has graduated from a 4-year postgraduate doctor of audiology program from a college or university and the university chairperson provides a letter to the Board attesting that the fourth year of the program is predominantly a clinical externship and prior to beginning the externship the applicant shall have met the academic coursework requirements/practicum and passed the exam.
Passage of an examination

Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (prior to January 1, 2006)

Master's degree or equivalent (75 semester hours)
Three hundred seventy-five hour clinical practicum (accepts ASHA or ABA standards for experience)
Written evidence of the completion of 9 months full-time postgraduate professional experience or a minimum of 30 hours per week for a minimum of 36 weeks. Requirements for the professional experience shall be deemed to be met if certified by ASHA or ABA.
Passage of an examination

Exemptions

Federal employees
Students appropriately identified as speech-language pathology or audiology interns or trainees
HAD fitters
Physicians, osteopaths or persons delegated such tasks by a licensed physician
Nurses
Persons in the business of speech-language pathology or audiology providing licensed individual are employed for direct practice
Persons with ASHA CCCs or licensed in another state, pending disposition of their application
Persons not residents but licensed in another state with ASHA CCCs may practice for 30 days if they file a statement to the Board in advance.

Reciprocity/Endorsement

The Board shall waive the examination and educational and professional experience requirements for applicants who:

Present proof of current licensure in another state with equivalent standards
Hold ASHA CCCs or ABA certification
Have a license in audiology from a state with standards equal to standards in place in Ohio on December 31, 2005 and must have obtained their license by December 31, 2007

Interim Practice/Temporary Licensure

Persons required to meet the supervised professional experience must obtain a conditional license; such license is valid for 20 months.
Student Permits: Students that have completed 1 year of study in a speech-language pathology graduate program at an Ohio college/university may be recommended for a student permit; the student must complete course work along with 25 hours of observation and 75 hours of clinical experience consistent with the population to be served and the work setting to which they will be assigned; supervision must be 25% direct for treatment activities and 25% direct of diagnostic activities; students may carry no more than 50 cases.

Continuing Education Requirement for Licensure Renewal

Twenty clock hours of continuing education per 2-year period; dual licensees must earn 20 continuing education hours within 2 years.

Hearing Aid Dispensing

Audiologists may dispense under an audiology license.

Support Personnel

Speech-language pathology aides and audiology aides must be licensed.
Speech-language pathology aides and audiology aides must have a high school diploma or equivalent and successful completion of training requirements as outlined in the approved application.
An aide shall be clearly identified as such by a badge worn during all contact with persons served.
A licensed speech-language pathologist or audiologist must be able to provide direct and immediate supervision to an aide; "direct supervision" is defined as that given by a supervisor who is either present in the room in which the clinical services are being given or who is immediately available to provide assistance to the aide within that particular contact with client served.
A licensed speech-language pathologist or audiologist shall not supervise any more than two aides unless approved by the Board.

Board Oversight

Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Board Composition

The Board shall comprise eight state residents appointed by the Governor; three members shall be licensed speech-language pathologists and three members shall be licensed audiologists who have been licensed and engaged in practice for at least 5 years prior to their appointment; at all times, one of the audiologists must be a dispensing audiologist; there shall be two public members and at least one of the public members shall be at least 60 years of age.