(a)  Licensure shall be granted in either speech-language pathology or audiology independently. A person may be licensed in both areas if he or she meets the respective qualifications.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-6

  • Audiologist: means an individual licensed by the board to practice audiology. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Audiology: means the application of principles, methods, and procedures related to hearing and the disorders of the hearing and balance systems, to related language and speech disorders, and to aberrant behavior related to hearing loss. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Clinical fellow: means the person who is practicing speech-language pathology under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist while completing the postgraduate professional experience as required by this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Person: means an individual, partnership, organization, or corporation, except that only individuals can be licensed under this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1
  • Speech-language pathology: means the application of principles, methods, and procedures for prevention, identification, evaluation, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, and research related to the development and disorders of human communication. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-48-1

(b)  No person shall practice as, advertise as, or use the title of speech pathologist or audiologist as defined in § 5-48-1 in this state unless he or she is licensed in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the state.

(c)  Registered speech-language pathologists or audiologists may render services under the terms and provisions of the workers’ compensation and rehabilitation laws.

(d)  A provisional license for the clinical fellow (defined in § 5-48-1(b)(4)) shall be required in speech-language pathology for that period of postgraduate professional experience as required in § 5-48-7.1. A provisional license shall authorize an individual to practice speech-language pathology solely in connection with the completion of the supervised postgraduate professional experience.

History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 143, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 329, § 1; P.L. 1998, ch. 366, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 33, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 39, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 308, art. 1, § 23.