Autumn Greetings! The season heralds the inevitability of change and ArSHA’s work also reflects transitions.

Audiologists are in the midst of enacting change in their licensure law.  The Audiology Review Committee has spent many hours discussing and formulating language to reflect the requirement for the doctoral degree for all future licensees. This action is in response to ASHA’s mandate that the entry level degree to practice Audiology will be the doctorate degree.  A “Town Hall” meeting was recently held to review the proposed revisions.  A healthy mixture of students, university faculty, and practicing audiologists participated in this event and at this writing, the process continues to the next level….getting the revisions into proper “bill language”.

Revisions to certification requirements for school-based speech/language pathologists also head in the direction of upgraded professional standards.  Arizona is one of 3 states that recognizes a Bachelor’s level as a minimum entry level. Effective January 1, 2007, the speech and language pathologists will be in the professional non-teaching category.  Furthermore, the requirements for Bachelor’s level individuals to obtain and maintain a certificate are more stringent and support continuing education towards a Master’s degree.