“Accredited Educational Institution”- College or university that holds regional accreditation.

“Accredited Educational Program” - A graduate program in audiology or speech-language pathology that is accredited by the Council for Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) or the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE).

“Aides” - Individuals not licensed by the Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (LBESPA) who, after appropriate training, perform tasks that are prescribed, directed, and supervised by audiologists or speech-language pathologists. Licensed audiologists and licensed speech-language pathologists are legally, ethically, and morally responsible for the services provided by aides working under their direction.

“Assistant Licensee”- An individual who meets the qualifications and works under the direct supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist and performs only those duties specified in §121.

“Asynchronous Store and Forward Transfer” - The transmission of client information in the delivery of telehealth services from an originating site to the provider at the distant site without the client being present.

“Board”- The Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

“Cooperating Program”- An approved agency of a regionally accredited training institution.

“Criminal History Record Information” - Information collected by state and federal criminal justice agencies consisting of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, bills of information or any other formal criminal charges, and any disposition arising therefrom, including sentencing, criminal correctional supervision and release.

“Direct Patient/Client Contact”- Practicum experience obtained during performance of a clinical activity with a patient/client.

“Direct Supervision”- The supervisor observing the licensee engaging in a specified clinical activity with a patient/client in order to obtain knowledge and provide guidance regarding the supervisee's clinical work.  The supervisor shall accomplish this task either by being physically present in the room or through the use of a secure live video, live stream or web cam.

“Distant Site”- The site at which the healthcare provider delivering the service is located at the time the service is provided via a telecommunication system.

“Facilitator” - The individual at the client site who assists with the delivery of telehealth services at the direction of the audiologist or speech-language pathologist.

“Full-Time Employment/Experience” - A minimum of thirty (30) clock hours per week.

“Full-Time Supervised Professional Employment/Experience” - A minimum of thirty-six (36) weeks engaged in the provision of clinical services.  Volunteer services are not acceptable.

“Grace Period”- The period in which an applicant may be employed while an initial application for licensure is being considered by the board. The grace period cannot exceed sixty (60) days from the date that the application is received by the board.

“Graduate Training Clinical Practicum Hours” - A combination of undergraduate and graduate clinical practicum hours that culminate with a graduate degree or its equivalent.

“Hearing Screening”- Pure-tone air conduction screening, and screening tests of auditory function such as tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing, for the purpose of the initial identification and/or referral of individuals with suspected hearing problems and/or middle ear pathology.

“Indirect Supervision” - The utilization of alternative methods, other than direct supervision, to acquire knowledge of a supervisee's clinical work, e.g. review of client folders and record keeping, scheduling, and planning.

“Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist” - An individual who meets the qualifications for licensure as a speech -language pathologist and who holds a current, unsuspended, and unrevoked license issued by the board. Unless otherwise specified, "licensed speech-language pathologist" shall not mean a person who has a provisional or restricted license issued in Lousiana.

“Licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant” - An individual who meets the qualifications for licensure as a speech-language pathology assistant, holds a current, unsuspended, and unrevoked license issued by the board, works under the direct supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist in accordance with standards promulgated by the board, and performs only those duties specified in the rules and regulations established by the board.

“License Renewal Period”- The period of time that begins July 1, and ends on June 30, of the following calendar year.

“On-site In-view Observation”- The supervisor observing the licensee engaging in a specified clinical activity with his/her patient/client. The supervisor shall accomplish this task either by being physically present in the room or through the use of a live video monitor or web cam.

“Originating Site”- The location of the client at the time the service is furnished via a telecommunications system or when the asynchronous store and forward transfer occurs.

“Part-Time Employment/Experience”- Less than thirty (30) clock hours per week.

“Part-Time Postgraduate Professional Employment Experience” - Part-time experience greater than or equal to an average of five (5) hours per week which culminates in an equivalent of 36 weeks of full-time employment experience.

“Provisional Assistant Licensee”- An individual who meets the qualifications established in R.S. 37: 2659(E) and works under the direct supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist and performs only those duties specified. This person has completed a minimum of 100 of 225 supervised clinical practicum hours and is working to complete the remaining hours on-the-job and/or through a regionally accredited educational institution or its cooperating programs.

“Person” - Any individual, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity, except that only an individual shall be eligible for license or be issued a license.

“Practice of Speech-Language Pathology” - Providing, or offering to provide, to individuals or groups of individuals who have or are suspected of having disorders of communication, including speech, voice, language, or cognitive processes and disorders of oral-pharyngeal function, including dysphagia, any service in speech-language pathology including prevention, identification, evaluation, interpretation, counseling, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, supervision, and research. The practice of speech-language pathology may include performing a hearing screening limited to a pass/fail determination for the purpose of identifying or referring individuals suspected of having disorders of hearing.

“Provisional License” - A license issued by the board to an individual who meets the qualifications for provisional licensure and is practicing speech-language pathology or audiology while completing the postgraduate professional experience or examination as required by this Chapter. The provisional license holder may perform the practice of speech-language pathology or audiology only while under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist or audiologist in accordance with standards promulgated by the board.

“Provisional Speech-Language Pathology Assistant License” - A license issued by the board to an individual who meets the qualifications for provisional licensure and works under the direct supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist in accordance with standards promulgated by the board and performs only those duties specified in the rules and regulations established by the board.

“Restricted License” - A license issued to an individual who is certified by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as a speech, hearing, and language specialist or the equivalent as defined by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, wherein, the holder is authorized to perform the practice of speech-language pathology only while under the direct supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist, in accordance with standards promulgated by the board.

“Speech-Language Pathologist” - Any person who represents himself to the public by title or by description of services, methods, or procedures as one who offers to provide or provides services involving the application of principles, methods, and procedures of the science and profession of speech-language pathology.

“Supervised On-the-Job Training” - Direct supervision hours which have been obtained during paid employment and documented on the form provided by the board.