1. 1. “ABAC” means the American Board of Audiology Certified credential, a certification issued by the American Board of Audiology to an individual who:

   1. a. Completes a doctoral degree in audiology from an accredited college or university that includes a clinical practicum,
   2. b. Passes the ETSNEA, and
   3. c. Completes a clinical fellowship.
2. 2. “Accredited” means approved by the US Department of Education and recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
3. 3. “Applicant” means an individual who submits an application and documentation for approval to practice as an audiologist or a speech-language pathologist.
4. 4. “Calendar day” means each day, not including the day of the act, event, or default, from which a designated period of time begins to run, but including the last day of the period unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, statewide furlough day, or legal holiday, in which case the period runs until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, statewide furlough day, or legal holiday.

5. 5. “CCC” means Certificate of Clinical Competence, a certificate issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to an individual who:

   1. a. Completes a degree in audiology or speech-language pathology from an accredited college or university that includes a clinical practicum,
   2. b. Passes the ETSNEA or ETSNESLP, and
   3. c. Completes a clinical fellowship.
6. 6. “Clinical fellow” means an individual engaged in a clinical fellowship.

7. 7. “Clinical fellowship” means an individual’s postgraduate professional experience assessing, diagnosing, screening, treating, writing reports, and counseling individuals exhibiting speech, language, hearing, or communication disorders, obtained:

   1. a. After completion of graduate level academic coursework and a clinical practicum;
   2. b. Under the supervision of a clinical fellowship supervisor; and
   3. c. While employed on a full-time or part-time equivalent basis.
8. 8. “Clinical fellowship agreement” means the document submitted to the Department by a clinical fellow to register the initiation of a clinical fellowship.

9. 9. “Clinical fellowship supervisor” means a licensed speech-language pathologist who:

   1. a. Is or has been a sponsor of a temporary licensee,
   2. b. Had a CCC while supervising a clinical fellow before October 28, 1999, or
   3. c. Has a CCC while supervising a clinical fellow in another state.
10. 10. “Clinical practicum” means the experience acquired by an individual who is completing coursework in audiology or speech-language pathology, while supervised by a licensed audiologist, a licensed speech-language pathologist, or an individual holding a CCC or ABAC, by assessing, diagnosing, evaluating, screening, treating, and counseling individuals exhibiting speech, language, cognitive, hearing, or communication disorders.
11. 11. “Continuing education” means a course that provides instruction and training that is designed to develop or improve a licensee’s professional competence in disciplines directly related to the licensee’s scope of practice.
12. 12. “Course” means a workshop, seminar, lecture, conference, or class.
13. 13. “Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures” means the principles and methods used by an audiologist in the practice of audiology or a speech-language pathologist in the practice of speech-language pathology.
14. 14. “Disciplinary action” means a proceeding that is brought against a licensee by the Department under A.R.S. § 36-1934 or a state licensing entity.
15. 15. “ETSNEA” means Educational Testing Service National Examination in Audiology, the specialty area test of the Praxis Series given by the Education Testing Service, Princeton, N.J.
16. 16. “ETSNESLP” means Educational Testing Service National Examination in Speech-Language Pathology, the specialty area test of the Praxis Series given by the Education Testing Service, Princeton, N.J.
17. 17. “Full-time” means 30 clock hours or more per week.
18. 18. “Local education agency” means a governing board established by A.R.S. § 15-101 or A.R.S. Title 15, Chapter 3, Article 3.
19. 19. “Monitoring” means being responsible for and providing direction to a clinical fellow without directly observing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
20. 20. “On-site observations” means the presence of a clinical fellowship supervisor who is watching a clinical fellow perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

21. 21. “Part-time equivalent” means:

    1. a. 25-29 clock hours per week for 48 weeks,
    2. b. 20-24 clock hours per week for 60 weeks, or
    3. c. 15-19 clock hours per week for 72 weeks.
22. 22. “Semester credit hour” means one earned academic unit of study based on completing, at an accredited college or university, a 50 to 60 minute class session per calendar week for 15 to 18 weeks.
23. 23. “Semester credit hour equivalent” means one quarter credit, which is equal in value to 2/3 of a semester credit hour.
24. 24. “State-supported institution” means a school, a charter school, a private school, or an accommodation school as defined in A.R.S. § 15-101.

25. 25. “Supervision” includes direct supervision and indirect supervision as defined in A.R.S. §§ 36-1901 and 36-1940.04, and means being responsible for and providing direction to:

    1. a. A clinical fellow during on-site observations or monitoring of the clinical fellow’s performance of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures; or
    2. b. An individual completing a clinical practicum.

In addition to the definitions in A.R.S. § 36-1901, the following definitions apply in this Article unless otherwise specified:

Historical Note

Former Section R9-16-201 repealed, new Section R9-16-201 adopted effective January 23, 1978 (Supp. 78-1). Repealed effective March 14, 1994 (Supp. 94-1). Adopted by final rulemaking at 5 A.A.R. 4359, effective October 28, 1999 (Supp. 99-4). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 20 A.A.R. 1998, effective July 1, 2014 (Supp. 14-2). Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 26 A.A.R. 816, with an immediate effective date of April 8, 2020 (Supp. 20-2). Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 32 A.A.R. 521 (February 27, 2026, Issue 9), with an immediate effective date of February 5, 2026 (Supp. 26-1).