CHAPTER 303
CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS
AND AUDIOLOGISTS
645—303.1(147) Definitions. For the purpose of these rules, the following definitions shall 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 examiners.
“Continuing education” means planned, organized learning acts designed to maintain, improve, or expand a licensee’s knowledge and skills in order for the licensee to develop new knowledge and skills relevant to the enhancement of practice, education, or theory development to improve the safety and welfare of the public.
“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. The category of “inactive license” may include licenses formerly known as lapsed, inactive, delinquent, closed, or retired.
“Independent study” means a subject/program/activity that a person pursues autonomously that meets standards for approval criteria in the rules and includes a posttest.
“License” means license to practice.
“Licensee” means any person licensed to practice speech pathology or audiology or both in the state of Iowa.
645—303.2(147) Continuing education requirements.
	303.2(1) The biennial continuing education compliance period shall extend for a two-year period between January 1 of each even-numbered year and December 31 of each odd-numbered year. Each biennium, each person who is licensed to practice as a speech pathology or audiology licensee in this state shall be required to complete a minimum of 30 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.
	303.2(2) Requirements of new licensees. Those persons licensed for the first time shall 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. The new licensee will be required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education per biennium for each subsequent license renewal.
	303.2(3) Hours of continuing education credit may be obtained by attending and participating in a continuing education activity. These hours must be in accordance with these rules.
	303.2(4) No hours of continuing education shall 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) It is the responsibility of each licensee to finance the cost of continuing education.
645—303.3(147,272C) Standards.
	303.3(1) General criteria. A continuing education activity which meets all of the following criteria is appropriate for continuing education credit if the continuing education activity:
	a. 	Constitutes an organized program of learning which contributes directly to the professional competency of the licensee;
	b. 	Pertains to subject matters which integrally relate to the practice of the profession;
	c. 	Is conducted by individuals who have specialized education, training and experience by reason of which said individuals should be considered qualified concerning the subject matter of the program. At the time of audit, the board may request the qualifications of presenters;
	d. 	Fulfills stated program goals, objectives, or both; and
	e. 	Provides proof of attendance to licensees in 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 which would enable expansion of knowledge in the basic communication processes. Any computer course used for continuing education must involve the actual application to the communicatively impaired population.
	(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 shall 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 which 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; and other areas such as general principles of program management, professional ethics, clinical supervision, counseling and interviewing.
Unacceptable subject matter includes personal development, human relations, collective bargaining, and tours. While desirable, these subjects are not applicable to the licensees’ skill, knowledge and competence as expressed in Iowa Code section 272C.2, paragraph “g.” Such courses will receive no credit toward the minimum 30 hours required for license renewal.
	b. 	A licensee may elect to take the National Teacher Examination in speech pathology or audiology in lieu of earning continuing education credits. The licensee shall have the results of the examination sent to the board by the agency administering the examination.
	c. 	Independent study.
	(1)	The maximum number of hours for independent study is 16 hours.
	(2)	Criteria for presentations are as follows:
	1.	A maximum of 10 hours of the maximum 16 hours of independent study credit will be given for presenting professional programs that meet the criteria as listed in rule 303.3(147,272C).
	2.	Two hours of credit will be awarded for each hour of new presentation material.
	3.	A course schedule or brochure must be maintained for audit.
	d. 	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.
	e. 	An applicant shall provide official transcripts indicating successful completion of academic courses which 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
645—303.4(147,272C) Audit of continuing education report. After each educational biennium, the board may audit licensees to review compliance with continuing education requirements.
	303.4(1) The board may audit a percentage of its licensees and may, at its discretion, determine to audit a licensee. A licensee whose license renewal application is submitted during the grace period may be subject to a continuing education audit.
	303.4(2) The licensee shall provide the following information to the board for auditing purposes:
	a. 	Date and location of course, course title, course description, course outline, course schedule, names and qualifications of instructors/speakers and method of presentation; or a program brochure which includes all the information required in this paragraph;
	b. 	Number of contact hours for program attended; and
	c. 	Individual certificate of completion issued to the licensee or evidence of successful completion of the course from the course sponsor.
	303.4(3) For auditing purposes, all licensees must retain the information identified in subrule 303.4(2) for two years after the biennium has ended.
	303.4(4) Information identified in subrule 303.4(2) must be submitted within one month after the date of notification of the audit. Extension of time may be granted on an individual basis.
	303.4(5) If the submitted materials are incomplete or unsatisfactory, the licensee may be given the opportunity to submit make-up credit to cover the deficit found through the audit if the board determines that the deficiency was the result of good-faith conduct on the part of the licensee. The deadline for receipt of the documentation for this make-up credit is 120 days from the date of mailing to the address of record at the board office.
	303.4(6) Failure to notify the board of a current mailing address will not absolve the licensee from the audit requirement, and an audit must be completed before license renewal.
645—303.5(147,272C) Automatic exemption. A licensee shall be exempt from the continuing education requirement during the license biennium when that person:
	1.	Served honorably on active duty in the military service; or
	2.	Resided in another state or district having continuing education requirements for the profession and met all requirements of that state or district for practice therein; or
	3.	Was a government employee working in the licensee’s specialty and assigned to duty outside the United States; or
	4.	Was absent from the state but engaged in active practice under circumstances which are approved by the board.
645—303.6(147,272C) Continuing education exemption for disability or illness. A licensee who has had a physical or mental disability or illness during the license period may apply for an exemption. An exemption provides for an extension of time or exemption from some or all of the continuing education requirements. An applicant shall submit a completed application form approved by the board for an exemption. The application form is available upon request from the board office. The application requires the signature of a licensed health care professional who can attest to the existence of a disability or illness during the license period. If the application is from a licensee who is the primary caregiver for a relative who is ill or disabled and needs care from that primary caregiver, the physician shall verify the licensee’s status as the primary caregiver. A licensee who applies for an exemption shall be notified of the decision regarding the application. A licensee who obtains approval shall retain a copy of the exemption to be presented to the board upon request.
	303.6(1) The board may grant an extension of time to fulfill the continuing education requirement.
	303.6(2) The board may grant an exemption from the continuing education requirement for any period of time not to exceed two calendar years. If the physical or mental disability or illness for which an extension or exemption was granted continues beyond the period initially approved by the board, the licensee must reapply for a continuance of the extension or exemption.
	303.6(3) The board may, as a condition of any extension or exemption granted, require the licensee to make up a portion of the continuing education requirement in the manner determined by the board.
645—303.7(147,272C) Grounds for disciplinary action. The board may take formal disciplinary action on the following grounds:
	303.7(1) Failure to cooperate with a board audit.
	303.7(2) Failure to meet the continuing education requirement for licensure.
	303.7(3) Falsification of information on the license renewal form.
	303.7(4) Falsification of continuing education information.
645—303.8(147,272C) Continuing education exemption for inactive practitioners. Rescinded IAB 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05.
645—303.9(147,272C) Continuing education waiver for disability or illness. Rescinded IAB 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05.
645—303.10(147,272C) Reinstatement of inactive practitioners. Rescinded IAB 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05.
645—303.11(272C) Hearings. Rescinded IAB 9/14/05, effective 10/19/05.
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]◊
◊	Two or more ARCs