Section 216-RICR-40-05-33.3 - DefinitionsA. Wherever used in this Part, the following terms shall be construed as follows:1. "Accredited/approved" means that an institution/program holds regional accreditation from one (1) of six (6) regional accrediting bodies: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.2. "Act" means R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-48 entitled, "Speech Pathology and Audiology."3. "Audiologist" means an individual who is licensed by the Board to practice audiology.4. "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 by an audiologist. A hearing disorder is defined as altered sensitivity, acuity, function, processing, and/or damage to the integrity of the physiological auditory/vestibular systems, in individuals or groups of individuals who have or are suspected of having such disorders.5. "Audiology support personnel" shall operate under the title "audiometric aide" and means an individual who meets minimum qualifications, established by the Board, which are less than those established by the Act as necessary for licensing as an audiologist; does not act independently; is limited to hearing screening with pass/fail criteria, and works under the direction and supervision of an audiologist licensed under the Act who has been actively working in the field for twenty-four (24) months after completion of the postgraduate professional experience and who accepts the responsibility for the acts and performances of the audiometric aide while working under the Act.6. "Board" means the "State Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology."7. "Clinical fellowship or traineeship" means the direct clinical work, consultation or other duties relevant to clinical speech language pathology work with individuals presenting disorders in communication, for a cumulative or equivalent total of nine (9) months of full- time employment following completion of professional speech language pathology education under supervision pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-48-7.8. "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 the Act and who holds a current provisional license in accordance with the requirements described in this Part.9. "Department" means the Rhode Island Department of Health.10. "Director" means the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.11. "Graduate program" means a post-baccalaureate accredited program leading to a master's or doctoral degree, including a professional doctoral degree, whether offered through an accredited graduate or professional school.12. "Newborn Hearing Screener" means an audiometric aide working in a hospital-based newborn hearing screening program under the direction of the RI Department of Health Newborn Hearing Screening Program or its appointee.13. "Person" means an individual, partnership, organization or corporation, except that only individuals can be licensed under the Act.14. "The practice of audiology" means an audiologist rendering or offering to render any service in audiology as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-48-1(8)(i).15. "The practice of speech language pathology" means rendering or offering to render any service in speech language pathology as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-48-1(9)(i).16. "Regionally accredited" means the official guarantee that a college or university or other educational institution is in conformity with the standards of education prescribed by a regional accrediting commission recognized by the United States Secretary of Education.17. "School Hearing Screener" means an audiometric aide working in a school-based hearing screening program under the direction of the RI Department of Education or its appointee.18. "Speech language pathologist" means an individual who is licensed by the Board to practice speech language pathology.19. "Speech language pathology" means the activities defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-48-1(12).20. "Speech language support personnel" means an individual who meets minimum qualifications established by the Board, which are less than those established by the Act as necessary for licensing as a speech language pathologist; does not act independently; and works under the direction and supervision of a speech language pathologist licensed under the Act who has been actively working in the field for twenty-four (24) months after completion of the postgraduate professional experience and who accepts the responsibility for the acts and performances of the speech language pathology assistant while working under the Act.216 R.I. Code R. § 216-RICR-40-05-33.3