The profession of audiology1.pdf

The profession of audiology  Wat is Audiology Audiology, is the health profession responsible for caring for persons with hearing loss and related problems. Audiologists Audiologist are the primary healthcare professionals who evaluat...

The profession of audiology  Wat is Audiology Audiology, is the health profession responsible for caring for persons with hearing loss and related problems. Audiologists Audiologist are the primary healthcare professionals who evaluate, diagnose, treat, and manage hearing loss and balance disor ders in adults and children. (AAA, 2010) are individuals who “ provide comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative services for all areas of auditory, vestibular, and related disorders” (ASHA). Approximately one-third of adults between the ages of 65 and 74 have a significant hearing loss that interferes with communication, and the proportion with hearing loss increases to almost one-half for adults over the age of 75 (National instate on deadness and Other Communication Disorders, 2010). Up to six of every 1000 children are born with some degree of hearing loss. What Is an Audiologist? Audiologists are licensed health-care professionals who diagnose, treat, and manage hearing loss and balance disorders for adults and children. Treatment for hearing loss typically involves selecting and fitting hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive technologies. While most audiologists earn a doctor of audiology (AuD) degree, there are other doctoral degrees that audiologists can obtain (i.e., PhD, ScD, etc.), which are typically research-oriented and provide important scientific guidance to the profession.  Responsibilities & services of Audiologists Evaluate and diagnose hearing loss and vestibular (balance) disorders. Prescribe, fit, and dispense hearing aids and other amplification and hearing assistance technologies. Provide auditory rehabilitation and training to improve listening skills and communication for people with hearing loss. Design and implement programs for hearing conversation and protection for people at risk for hearing loss due to excessive n oise exposure. Design and implement newborn hearing screening programs. Assess and treat children and adults with hearing problems involving the brain, known as central auditory processing disorder s. Evaluate candidacy of persons with severe hearing loss for management with cochlear implants; program cochlear implants for specific patient needs; provide habilitation or rehabilitation of children and adults with cochlea implant. Assess and treat persons with bothersome tinnitus ( noise in the ears like ringing or buzzing) Perform monitoring of auditory and facial nerve function during surgical procedures to prevent disorders and improve outcome.  Facts About Audiology and Hearing Loss Approximately 55% of the 16,000 audiologists practicing in the United States have received an AuD. More than 36 million Americans have some type of hearing problem. At least half of all Americans will experience some type of balance problem in their lifetime. Many audiologists earn 6-figure incomes annually. U.S. News and World Report ranked audiology as one of the 50 Best Careers from 2006 to 2009. Reuters ranked the profession of audiology as one of the least stressful jobs. There are currently 74 doctoral programs in audiology and/or related hearing science in the United States. Audiologists work with patients of all ages, from newborns to older adults.  Place of Work Where Do Audiologists Practice? Audiologists practice in a variety of settings: Private practice Private clinics Hospitals Universities Schools Hearing instrument industry Federal government Otolaryngology offices General industry  Requirements most states have licensing requirements for audiologists. Audiologists should be prepared to apply for a license to practice upon graduating with an AuD degree.  The relationship between the profession of Audiology and speech & language pathology Who are Speech-language pathologists? Speech-language pathologists are professionals who provide services to… prevent, diagnose, evaluate, as well as treat communication and other related disorders.  Speech-language pathologists (SLP) Who SLPs serve Speech-language pathologists (SLP) and Speech-language pathology assistants (SLPA)work with lots of different types of people, including: Infants through elderly Diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds Variety of disorders  Types of disorders Fluency (or stuttering) Voice (including cleft palate) Autism and other syndromes Neurological disorders (due to stroke, TBI, NTBI, progressive medical conditions, etc.) Accent modification Language-based reading problems Hearing impairments Persons with cochlear implants Speech and language disorders  Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Pathology & Audiology In fact, many graduates with the Bachelor’s Degree go on to work and study in other related fields, including: Special Education Social Work Deaf Education Disability Law School Psychology Rehabilitation Administration Rehabilitation Counseling Medical sales / publications Nursing Behavior Analysis (BCBA) Physical Therapy Professional Meeting Planning & Special Events Occupational Therapy Linguistics Public Health  Options for SP&A Majors Graduate School Speech Pathology (M.S. and/or Ph.D.) Audiology (Au.D.)  Career Paths Master’s degree option: A Master’s degree requires that a person has an undergrad degree as well as two additional years of graduate-level course work and clinical supervision. This degree allows you to work as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and audiologist (AuD).  Graduate Degrees in Speech Pathology & Audiology Speech-Language Pathologist Graduate School: Speech Pathology & Audiology (M.A. or M.S.) Communication Sciences & Disorders (M.A. or M.S.) Communicative Disorders (M.A. or M.S.) Audiologist Graduate School: Audiology (AUD)