The Illinois Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act requires ALL audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech language pathology assistants to hold state professional licenses. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is the agency that regulates/houses the Practice Act. An IDFPR state professional license is required to work in any setting in Illinois. The IDFPR Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology approves licenses for SLPs, SLPAs, and audiologists based on requirements as stated in the Illinois Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act. Section 7 on Licensure states that “...no person shall practice speech-language pathology or audiology without first applying for and obtaining a license for such purpose from the Department." This applies to Speech Language Pathology Assistants as well. At this time, there is no language for licensure that applies to Audiology Assistants. Details can be found in the next section following this overview.
The American Speech Hearing Association (ASHA) issues the Certificate of Clinical Competence to audiologists and speech language pathologists who qualify, which is the highest credential one can hold in our professions. In the Illinois Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act, ASHA CCCs are not mandated except for the purpose of supervising Clinical Fellow Audiologists, SLPs and ASHA-certified SLPAs. Some work settings/employers may also require you to hold ASHA CCCs.
For those professionals who wish to work in the school setting, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is charged with determining who is eligible to work in Illinois public schools. At this time, speech-language pathologists are the only communication professionals who must hold both an IDFPR license and an ISBE Professional Educator License (PEL) in order to work in the school setting. Audiologists and speech language pathology assistants are not required to hold Professional Educator Licenses (PELs) at this time, though they are employable by school districts.
Provider Connections is the agency that is contracted by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Bureau of Early Intervention, and its role is to credential, enroll, and provide technical support to those professionals who are interested in providing services through Early Intervention (EI). There is a separate and additional credentialing and enrollment process necessary for Early Intervention service providers. Provider Connections ensures that professionals “…possess appropriate qualifications, enhance their professional growth, and strengthen their understanding of children ages birth to 3 with special needs.” For specific information and requirements, please review the Bureau of Early Intervention website linked above, and Provider Connections.