The Massachusetts Speech-Language Hearing Association recently scored a huge advocacy win regarding the elimination of the in-person evaluation requirement for audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

Thank you to everyone who responded to the MSHA survey to share ways in which the in-person evaluation requirement was a detriment to both clinicians and clients. Your comments, which overwhelmingly supported virtual evaluations, were compiled into a report that was shared with the Board of Registration for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (BRSPA) before the meeting that was held on June 6th.

The BRSPA participants were informed of our correspondence by Director Burke and a discussion followed in which the Board seemed to consider and incorporate these concerns in the final policy on telehealth. The virtual meeting included representation from ASHA, the Massachusetts Academy of Audiology, and many SLPs and AuDs. The final regulations will be approved at the August 1 meeting of the BRSPA. See the Board of Registration calendar of meetings for details of that meeting. Again, thank you to everyone who participated in this collaborative process to benefit both professionals and clients alike. Your state association continues its work on your behalf!