Dear Members of the Board,

My name is Erin Piker and I am an audiology faculty member at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I am writing to express my support for the proposed amendment to 18VAC30-21-60(A) to restore American Board of Audiology (ABA) certification as an accepted pathway for audiology licensure.

ABA certification is a nationally recognized credential that reflects education, examination, and professional requirements specific to audiology. When ABA certification was removed from the regulations, it reduced flexibility and limited licensure options for qualified audiologists. Restoring this pathway will help ensure that Virginia can attract and retain highly trained audiologists while maintaining strong professional standards.

JMU is the only accredited AuD program in the Commonwealth and many of our students choose to stay in Virginia.  I feel it is important to not place licensure barriers on those wanting to practice in the Commonwealth. I believe this change will benefit both professionals and patients.

Thank you for your work to modernize and clarify audiology licensure regulations in Virginia. I appreciate the opportunity to comment on this amendment and encourage the Board to move forward with recognizing ABA certification as an accepted pathway to licensure.

Sincerely,

Erin G. Piker, AuD, PhD                                                        

Associate Professor  

Program Director of Audiology                                                          

Director, Vestibular Sciences Lab     

James Madison University

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

235 MLK Jr. Way, MSC 4304

Harrisonburg, VA   22802                              

540-568-3871