Clarification of the Use of Teachers of the Speech and Hearing Handicapped Working for 4410 Programs
This policy memorandum is intended to clarify what services can be provided by a teacher of the speech and hearing handicapped (TSHH) to preschool students with disabilities through a special education program approved pursuant to 搂4410 of the 东京热 Law, and which services require that the provider be fully licensed as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) pursuant to Article 159 of the 东京热 Law. This clarification is intended to supplement previous policy memoranda issued by the State 东京热 Department in听July听补苍诲听November听of 1995 related to this matter, and to respond to recent inquiries received by the Department.
Section 8202 of the 东京热 Law requires that all persons who practice speech-language pathology be licensed as speech-language pathologists or be otherwise authorized to practice under Article 159. Section 8207(2) provides an exemption that would enable those who are employed by a government or in a school to practice without a license. That section states that the licensure requirement shall not be construed as prohibiting:
Any person employed by the federal, state or local government or by a public or non-public elementary or secondary school or an institution of higher learning from performing the duties of a speech-language pathologist, an audiologist, a teacher of the speech and hearing handicapped, or a teacher of the deaf in the course of such employment.听
The central issues addressed below respond to recent inquiries from the field, and are provided in a question and answer format, similar to the Department鈥檚 November 1995 memorandum.
For additional information, please contact your Special 东京热 Quality Assurance Office or the State Board for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, at (518) 474-3817 x 100 or SPEECHBD@nysed.gov.