NEW BRIGHTON, MINNESOTA — The Audiology Practice Standards Organization (APSO) is preparing to open a proposed national practice standard for audiology assistants to public review and comment, an effort aimed at bringing greater consistency to a role that is increasingly being used to support clinical audiology practices.
The proposed Audiology Assistant Standard will be available for public review beginning October 26, 2026, through November 6, 2026. APSO is encouraging audiologists across the United States to review the document and submit comments before the standard moves toward a final draft.
Audiology assistants can support practices by performing routine tasks that do not require clinical decision-making, potentially allowing audiologists to devote more time to responsibilities requiring their professional expertise. However, according to APSO, there is currently relatively little standardization across the United States regarding the practices and scope of audiology assistants.
Collaboration Across the Audiology Profession
To develop a common standard, APSO collaborated with several national professional organizations representing different areas of audiology, including the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), Association of VA Audiologists (AVAA), and Military Audiology Association (MAA).
Representatives from those organizations worked alongside additional at-large subject matter experts. Two groups of experts participated in drafting the proposed standard before advancing it to the public review stage.
The public comment period is intended to give practicing audiologists an opportunity to participate directly in the standards-development process. APSO says all submitted comments will be reviewed by subject matter experts and considered as they make final edits to the document.
Public Comment Opens October 26
APSO encourages reviewers to provide evidence-based comments and include a rationale when recommending changes to the proposed standard.
Audiologists can access APSO standards and submit comments through the organization’s website. The Audiology Assistant Standard will be open for public review and comment from October 26 through November 6, 2026.
View APSO standards and public review information
About the Audiology Practice Standards Organization
The Audiology Practice Standards Organization (APSO) is a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to developing and maintaining practice standards for the profession of audiology. Its standards are developed by recognized subject matter experts and undergo review and comment by practicing audiologists. APSO standards are freely accessible to audiologists and the public.
For more information, visit AudiologyStandards.org.
Source: APSO
