CHAPTER 303
CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS
AND AUDIOLOGISTS
645—303.1(147) Definitions. For the purpose of these rules, the following definitions will apply:
“AAA” means the American Association of Audiology.
“Active license” means a license that is current and has not expired.
“Approved program/activity” means a continuing education program/activity meeting the standards set forth in these rules.
“ASHA” means the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
“Audit” means the selection of licensees for verification of satisfactory completion of continuing education requirements during a specified time period.
“Board” means the board of speech pathology and audiology.
“Continuing education” means an approved program/activity that is directly related to the sciences or contemporary clinical practice of audiology, speech-language pathology and speech-language-hearing science and whose content and focus are beyond the basic preparation required for entry into the professions.
“Hour of continuing education” means at least 50 minutes spent by a licensee in actual attendance at and completion of an approved continuing education activity.
“Inactive license” means a license that has expired because it was not renewed by the end of the grace period.
“License” means license to practice.
“Licensee” means any person licensed to practice speech pathology or audiology or both in the state of Iowa.
[ARC 7827C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24]
645—303.2(147) Continuing education requirements.
	303.2(1) The biennial continuing education compliance period will run concurrently with each two-year period between January 1 of each even-numbered year and December 31 of each odd-numbered year. Each biennium, a person who is licensed to practice as a speech pathology or audiology licensee in this state will be required to complete a minimum of 26 hours of continuing education approved by the board. A person holding licensure in both speech pathology and audiology must meet the requirements for each profession. Continuing education hours do not carry over.
	303.2(2) Requirements of new licensees. Those persons licensed for the first time will not be required to complete continuing education as a prerequisite for the first renewal of their licenses. Continuing education hours acquired anytime from the initial licensing until the second license renewal may be used.
	303.2(3) Hours of continuing education credit may be obtained by participation in an approved program or activity. Such programs and activities may take place individually or in group settings including in-person conferences, journal readings, teleconferences, videoconferences and online programs or activities as long as such programs and activities meet the criteria specified in the definition of continuing education in rule 645—303.1(147).
	303.2(4) No hours of continuing education will be carried over into the next biennium except as stated for second renewal. A licensee whose license was reactivated during the current renewal compliance period may use continuing education earned during the compliance period for the first renewal following reactivation.
	303.2(5) The licensee is responsible for the cost of continuing education.
[ARC 7827C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24]
645—303.3(147,272C) Standards.
	303.3(1) General criteria. A continuing education program or activity that meets all of the following criteria is appropriate for continuing education credit if the continuing education program or activity:
	a. 	Meets the definition of continuing education as defined in rule 645—303.1(147);
	b. 	Is conducted by individuals who have specialized education, training and experience in the subject matter of the program. At the time of audit, the board may request the qualifications of presenters;
	c. 	Fulfills state program goals, objectives, or both; and
	d. 	Provides proof of attendance, including:
	(1)	Date(s), location, course title, presenter(s);
	(2)	Number of program contact hours; and
	(3)	Certificate of completion or evidence of successful completion of the course provided by the course sponsor.
	303.3(2) Specific criteria.
	a. 	Subject matters that integrally relate to the practice of speech pathology or audiology or both that will be considered for approval are:
	(1)	Basic communication processes. Information (beyond the basic licensure requirements) applicable to the normal development and use of speech, language, and hearing, i.e., anatomic and physiologic bases for the normal development and use of speech, language, and hearing; physical bases and processes of the production and perception of speech, language, and hearing; linguistic and psycholinguistic variables related to normal development and use of speech, language, and hearing; and technological, biomedical, engineering, and instrumentation information that would enable expansion of knowledge in the basic communication processes.
	(2)	Professional areas. Information pertaining to disorders of speech, language, and hearing, i.e., various types of disorders of communication, their manifestations, classification and causes; evaluation skills, including procedures, techniques, and instrumentation for assessment; and management procedures and principles in habilitation and rehabilitation of communication disorders. The board will accept dysphagia courses provided by qualified instructors.
	(3)	Related areas. Study pertaining to the understanding of human behavior, both normal and abnormal, as well as services available from related professions that apply to the contemporary practice of speech-language pathology/audiology, e.g., theories of learning and behavior; services available from related professions that also deal with persons who have disorders of communication; information from these professions about the sensory, physical, emotional, social or intellectual states of child or adult; professional ethics; clinical supervision; counseling; and interviewing.
Unacceptable subject matter includes personal development, human relations, collective bargaining, and tours. A licensee may elect to take the Praxis Examination in speech pathology or audiology in lieu of earning continuing education credits. The licensee will have the results of the examination sent to the board by the agency administering the examination.
	b. 	A licensee may present professional programs that meet the criteria in this rule. Two hours of credit will be allowed for each hour of newly developed presentation material. A maximum of 16 hours may be obtained per biennium. A course schedule or brochure must be maintained for audit.
	c. 	A combined total of six hours per biennium may be used for the following activities:
	(1)	Government regulations;
	(2)	CPR, child abuse and dependent adult abuse; and
	(3)	A maximum of two hours may be used for business-related topics.
	d. 	An applicant will provide official transcripts indicating successful completion of academic courses that apply to the field of speech pathology and audiology in order to receive the following continuing education credits:
1 academic semester hour = 15 continuing education hours of credit
1 academic trimester hour = 12 continuing education hours of credit
1 academic quarter hour = 10 continuing education hours of credit
	e. 	Continuing education credit may be earned by participation in continuing education programs and activities that meet the criteria in this rule and that are completed through journal readings, teleconference or videoconference participation, and online program participation. In addition, such programs and activities must include a posttest that the participant must pass in order to receive continuing education credit.
	f. 	Continuing education will be obtained by attending a program that meets the criteria in subrule 303.3(1) including but not limited to continuing education programs offered by AAA and ASHA. Other individuals or groups may offer continuing education programs that meet the criteria in rule 645—303.3(147,272C) through one of the following organizations:
	(1)	National, state or local associations of speech pathology and audiology;
	(2)	Schools and institutes of speech pathology and audiology;
	(3)	Universities, colleges or community colleges.
Continuing education must be offered by or approved in advance of delivery by the organizations stated above.
[ARC 7827C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24]
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 272C.2 and chapter 147.
[Filed 11/9/00, Notice 9/20/00—published 11/29/00, effective 1/3/01]
[Filed 8/30/01, Notice 5/30/01—published 9/19/01, effective 10/24/01]
[Filed 5/9/02, Notice 4/3/02—published 5/29/02, effective 7/3/02]
[Filed 8/14/03, Notice 5/28/03—published 9/3/03, effective 10/8/03]
[Filed 8/22/05, Notice 6/8/05—published 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05]◊
[Filed 12/22/08, Notice 10/22/08—published 1/14/09, effective 2/18/09]
[Filed ARC 8872B (Notice ARC 8639B, IAB 4/7/10), IAB 6/30/10, effective 8/4/10]
[Filed ARC 1397C (Notice ARC 1314C, IAB 2/5/14), IAB 4/2/14, effective 5/7/14]
[Filed ARC 3591C (Notice ARC 3410C, IAB 10/25/17), IAB 1/17/18, effective 2/21/18]
[Filed ARC 5268C (Notice ARC 5163C, IAB 9/9/20), IAB 11/4/20, effective 12/9/20]
[Filed ARC 7827C (Notice ARC 7470C, IAB 1/10/24), IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24]
◊	Two or more ARCs