Sunday, November 22, 2009

Science Requirement

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Standards for the Certificates of Clinical Competence (CCC)

Standard III-A: The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and the social/behavioral sciences.

The applicant must have transcript credit (which could include course work, advanced placement, CLEP, or examination of equivalency) for each of the following areas:  biological sciences, physical sciences, social/behavioral sciences, and mathematics.  Appropriate course work may include (courses such as) human anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, genetics, physics, inorganic and organic chemistry, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and non-remedial mathematics.  The intent of this standard is to require students to have a broad liberal arts and science background.  Courses in biological and physical sciences specifically related to communication sciences and disorders (CSD) may not be applied for certification purposes in this category.  In addition to transcript credit, applicants may be required by their graduate program to provide further evidence of meeting this requirement.

What this Means for Undergraduate Students in Appalachian’s Communication Disorders (CD) Program

  • Appalachian’s general education core requirements continue to allow CD students to meet the ASHA CCC standards in the areas of in mathematics and the social and behavioral sciences.
  • Because the new standard in science for the ASHA CCC requires transcript credit in both biological and physical science, completing Appalachian’s general education core natural science requirement (8 s.h. in a laboratory science) may not be sufficient.  The one exception to this is the General Science sequence (2 semester hours each in General Science Physics, Chemistry, Geology, and Biology).

Students in CD at Appalachian should be guided by the following information when deciding how to meet the new science requirements for the ASHA CCC:

    • ASHA does not require any specific number of credit hours is either science area.  The position of the CD Program at Appalachian is that students should select the least restrictive (credit hours, cost, etc.) course of action for their own personal situations.  As little as one semester hour of credit in biological or physical science (whichever is needed) is sufficient as far as Appalachian’s CD Program is concerned.  Independent study is acceptable.
    • When possible to do so, CD students should select the General Science sequence to meet the core natural science requirement.
    • When completing the General Science sequence is not possible, students may choose from among options that include, but are not limited to, the following:
      • Use some of the elective hours in your curriculum to obtain credit in the area needed (biological or physical science).  This may be done either at Appalachian or by transfer from another college/university.
      • Take a course at another college/university and do not include it in your curriculum at Appalachian.  If you do this, it is your responsibility to see that your graduate program has a copy of the transcript for that credit.
      • Take a test (Advanced Placement, CLEP, department credit by examination test, etc.).  When this is done, it needs to be recorded on a transcript (from Appalachian or another college/university), and your graduate program needs a copy of the transcript.
    • Transfer students who completed natural science study in both biological and physical science (one laboratory course, in each) will typically be considered to have met Appalachian’s core requirement (and the ASHA CCC requirement).  Acceptance of mixed credit depends on whether the courses transferred met the core requirement of the transferring college/university.