Standard Requirements for all Colorado Initial Special Services Licenses

School Audiologist (Ages 0-21)

• AuD or PhD in School Audiology
• Completion of an approved program in School Audiology
• Practicum or internship in a school setting, equivalent to a minimum of 8 weeks full time (320 hours) under the supervision of a professionally-licensed or master's level licensed audiologist
• Passage of the Praxis 5343

School Counselor (Ages 0-21)

• Master's Degree or higher in School Counseling as defined by accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs
• Minimum of 100 clock hour practicum
• Minimum of 600 clock hour internship, with multiple grade levels of students under the supervision of a licensed school counselor
• Passage of the PRAXIS 5421

School Nurse (Ages 0-21)

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in nursing from an accepted institution of higher education or have successfully completed three years of practical experience as a fully license RN with school aged children
• Must hold a license to practice professional nursing in Colorado pursuant to the provisions of the Colorado Nurse Practice Act or hold a license in another state and is practicing in Colorado pursuant to the nurse licensing compact
• Successful completion of field experiences and a supervised practicum as prescribed by the preparing institution, including experiences with school-age children in a community health/public health or school setting.

School Occupational Therapist

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accepted institution of higher education
• Successful completion of an American Occupational Therapy Association-accredited college or university program in occupational therapy
• Successful completion of a practicum or internship as required by the school of occupational therapy attended, which may be held in a variety of settings
• Must hold a valid occupational therapy license issued by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
• Passage of the occupational therapy national registration examination administered by the national board for certification in occupational therapy. NBCOT

School Orientation & Mobility Specialist

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accepted institution of higher education
• Completion of approved preparation program for school orientation and mobility specialists
• Completion of practicum or internship, which must be in a school setting and equivalent to a minimum of 320 hours, full-time, under the supervision of an Academy of Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) licensed orientation and mobility specialist.
• Passage of the ACVREP exam
• Hold a current and valid ACVREP orientation and mobility certificate.

School Physical Therapist

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accepted institution of higher education
• Successful completion of American Physical Therapy Association’s Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education- accredited physical therapy program
• Successful completion of practicum or internship, as required by the physical therapy program attended
• Must hold a valid Colorado Physical Therapist License issued by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA)

School Psychologist

• Successful completion of an approved specialist-level program with a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours or a doctoral program for the preparation of school psychologists, serving children/students ages birth-21 at an accepted institution of higher education
• Passage of the national school psychology exam: National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) certification or Praxis 5402
• Successful completion of practicum consisting of a sequence of closely supervised on-campus or field-based activities, designed to develop and evaluate a candidate’s mastery of distinct professional skills, consistent with program and/or course goals
• Successful completion of internship consisting of a full-time experience over one year, or half-time over two years with a minimum of 1200 clock hours, of which 600 must be in a school setting
• The internship may include, beyond the 600 hours in the school setting, other acceptable internship experiences, including in private, state- approved educational programs or in other appropriate mental health or education-related programs.
• May hold a valid NCSP credential, issued by the national school psychology certification board.

School Social Worker

• Master’s degree or higher in social work from an accepted institution of higher education
• Documented evidence of completion of coursework in the areas of school and special education law, including content covering Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and the development of behavior intervention plans
• Successful completion of the ASWB clinical, advance generalist or master's exam.
• Successful completion of a supervised 900 clock-hour practicum in the field of social work which shall have been completed in a school, social service agency, mental health clinic or facility and/or hospital setting
• Successful completion of at least one field experience with school age children/students

School Speech-Language Pathologist

• Master’s degree or higher in communication disorders or speech-language pathology from an accepted institution of higher education
• Successful completion of a speech-language pathology program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in audiology and speech-language pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
• Practicum or internship, with children and students ages birth-21 in a school setting, equivalent to 8 weeks full-time (320 hours) under the supervision of a professionally licensed SLP
• Successfully passed PRAXIS 5331 or hold valid ASHA certification