Direct Supervised Practicum

A trainee who holds a temporary training permit must be supervised by a Texas licensed hearing instrument fitter and dispenser or audiologist.

You must obtain a temporary training permit prior to beginning the supervision, and your permit must remain valid during the supervised practicum.

Scope of Training

Upon completion of the practicum, a trainee must have at least 150+10 hours of directly-supervised practicum, including the following:

150 Hour Practicum

• 25 contact hours of pure tone air conduction, bone conduction, and speech audiometry, recorded and live voice, with fifteen of the required hours being with actual clients
• 25 client contact hours of hearing instrument evaluations, including sound-field measurements with recorded and live voice
• 20 contact hours of instrument fittings with actual clients
• 10 contact hours of earmold orientation types, uses, and terminology
• 5 contact hours of earmold impressions and otoscopic examinations of the ear
• 15 contact hours of troubleshooting of defective hearing instruments
• 20 contact hours of case history with actual clients
• 10 contact hours regarding the laws governing the licensing of persons fitting and dispensing hearing instruments and federal Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission regulations relating to the fitting and dispensing of hearing instruments
• 20 contact hours of supplemental work in one or more of the above items

+10 Hours of Masking

Additionally, a trainee must also complete at least 10 contact hours of masking under the direct supervision of the supervisor.

Supervisor Responsibilities

A supervisor may not supervise more than two temporary training permit holders at one time.

Training Log

The supervisor must maintain a log of the training hours. The supervision log form included with the Temporary Training Permit Application (PDF).

After the trainee has completed the 150+10 contact hours, the supervisor must complete the Temporary Training Permit Supervised Practicum Affidavit (PDF) and mail the form to the department.

Delegation of Duties

As a supervisor, you may delegate training activities to another license holder, but you will responsible for the day-to-day supervision of your trainee(s). You will ultimately be responsible for services provided to a client by the trainee.

You may not delegate the responsibility of supervision.

Tests

Once the 150+10 hours have been completed, and the training log has been approved by the department, you will be eligible to register for the written test and the practical test.

The Licensing Examination consists of a written test, a practical test, and a jurisprudence test. A temporary training permit holder must pass both the written test and the practical test, and complete the jurisprudence test, before applying for an apprentice permit.

Terminating Supervision

The supervisor must submit a written notification of termination of supervision to the department and the trainee within ten days of cessation of supervision. This notification may be sent by emailing customer service.

Change of Supervisor

If there is a change of supervisor, the trainee must send written notice to the department within ten business days of the change. You may send the notice by emailing customer service. The new supervisor must submit a Temporary Training Permit Supervisor’s Affidavit form. The temporary training permit holder may not practice until the new supervisor has been approved.