Audiology, Part 8

Question 1: Explain the view of the ASHA Committee on Rehabilitative Audiology regarding training and certification standards relative to its Proposed Minimal Competencies, and provide examples.

Answer 1: After examining the Association’s existing standards for training and certification, the ASHA Committee on Rehabilitative Audiology has come to the conclusion that these standards do not mandate enough training for either audiologists or speech-language pathologists for them to meet the Committee’s proposed minimal competencies. For example, there are many audiologists whose credentials satisfy the existing standards, but who would be hard pressed to show that they have even the most basic understanding of language development or language intervention, which have long been the province of speech-language pathologists. In the same vein, there are many speech-language pathologists who would be unable to show competence in areas such as the ramifications of audiological assessments or knowledge about amplification systems. The Committee opines that the profession is charged with the job of identifying specifically how the current standards can be made to correspond with the minimal competencies the Committee has proposed.

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Question 2: Identify six issues the ASHA Committee on Rehabilitative Audiology has recommended the profession should study toward the end of aligning training and certification standards with their proposed minimal competencies for aural rehabilitation.

Answer 2: The ASHA Committee on Rehabilitative Audiology has recommended that the profession study the following six issues at length and in depth toward the end of making ASHA’s training and certification standards consistent with the Committee’s proposed minimal competencies for aural rehabilitation: (1) aural rehabilitation’s unique role as an area of service delivery that crosses disciplines; (2) the need to define roles clearly in providing aural rehabilitation to avoid service duplications and increase cost effectiveness; (3) the effectiveness of balancing expectations for training between pre-service and continuing education; (4) the needs of consumers that constitute the basis for the Committee’s formulation of the proposed minimal competencies; (5) the need for ASHA to formulate an official policy to address the needs of consumers and professionals expressed herein; and (6) the possible desirability and/or usefulness of confronting the question of who should provide aural rehabilitation services by stipulating which services should be provided.

Question 3: Discuss hearing aids, including indications, benefits, basic parts, and common styles of aids.

Answer 3: Roughly 5 to 10 of hearing disorders in adults are treatable medically or surgically. In children, the percentage is higher due to the prevalence of otitis media in this age group. A hearing evaluation determines whether hearing loss is treatable medically or surgically. If not, additional testing can determine if the individual would benefit from a hearing aid(s). An ASHA-certified audiologist can find and provide the best type and model of aid for a client. For bilateral hearing loss, the audiologist may advise two aids. This improves overall hearing, facilitates listening with background noise, and helps localize sound direction. All hearing aids have a microphone, amplifier circuits, a receiver, and batteries. Styles are in-the-canal (tiny, cosmetically unobtrusive, offer some listening advantages); in-the-ear (larger than canal aids and easier for some people to handle); and behind-the-ear (connected by clear tubing to an earmold, better for children for safety and physical growth reasons).

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