Section 1.762  Supervision of Speech-Language Pathology Assistants

a)         Pursuant to Section 14-6.03 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/14-6.03], school districts and cooperative entities may employ licensed speech-language pathology assistants ("SLPAs").  These individuals are required by that Section to serve under the supervision of experienced speech-language pathologists, who are further required by Section 3.5(b) of the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act [225 ILCS 110/3.5(b)] to be licensed under that Act.  Therefore, a school district or cooperative entity shall not assign a speech-language pathologist with a professional educator license issued under Article 21B of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 21B] but not licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act to supervise any SLPA.

b)         Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Section, a speech-language pathologist who supervises one or more SLPAs shall provide evidence of having completed training of at least ten hours' duration that was provided by an organization approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation pursuant to the Department's rules titled "The Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act" (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1465) and that addressed all the following topics:

1)         Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships;

2)         Ethical, legal, regulatory, and reimbursement aspects of the profession;

3)         Strategies for direct and indirect supervision (supervisory process and practices, effective use of assistants);

4)         Evaluating the performance of assistants;

5)         The scope of assistants' responsibility; and

6)         Instructing and assisting SLPAs with:

A)        the execution of goals and objectives, data collection, and student outcomes,

B)        standards and strategies for oral and written communication,

C)        techniques, materials, and equipment utilized in the profession, and

D)        the maintenance of records.

c)         In order to be eligible to supervise SLPAs, a speech-language pathologist shall provide to the employing district or cooperative a copy of a signed certificate of completion of the training furnished by the provider.  The employing district or cooperative shall maintain this written evidence on file.

d)         A speech-language pathologist who supervises one or more SLPAs shall be exempt from the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of this Section provided that he or she presents to the employing district or cooperative entity, and the employer maintains, written evidence demonstrating that the speech-language pathologist had acquired at least one full school year's experience in supervising paraprofessional speech-language pathology staff serving individuals of school age prior to January 1, 2003.

(Source:  Amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 6127, effective February 27, 2014)