What is an Audiologist?What is in the Audiologist’s

Scope of Practice?

There are several professional organizations that address issues related to Audiology. The two BIG

Audiology organizations are ASHA and AAA.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 130,000 members and affiliates who are speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists in the United States and internationally. http://www.asha.org/about_asha.htm

ASHA(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)

The first name was the American Academy of Speech Correction (1925). The current name, The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, was adopted in 1978. The first official ASHA National Office was established in 1958

American Academy of Audiology (AAA)

The American Academy of Audiology is the world's largest professional organization of, by, and for audiologists. The active membership of more than 10,000 audiologists join together to provide the highest quality of hearing health care service to children and adults described by our national slogan "Caring for America's Hearing," coined in 1993.

The Profession of Audiology The profession of audiology had its origins in the

1920s when audiometers were first designed for measuring hearing.

Interest in this profession surged in the 1940s when soldiers returned from World War II with noise induced hearing loss due to near-by gunfire or to prolonged and unprotected exposure to machinery noise.

Others had psychogenic (non-organic) hearing loss as a result of severe emotional and mental stress.

A little interesting history…. The Academy of Dispensing Audiologists (ADA)

was formed in 1976 to serve as a home for practitioners who found themselves struggling with ASHA's position on the ethics of selling hearing aids.

In a 1978 ruling that set a remarkable precedent, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) code of ethics could not be used to prohibit competition and price interference for engineers' services. ASHA soon dropped its opposition to Audiologist “selling” hearing aids. This allowed audiologists to provide full services to patients.

What’s an Audiologist?

Are you ever asked, “What’s an audiologist?” If so, how to describe you future profession?

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

Audiologists are professionals engaged in autonomous practice to promote healthy hearing, communication competency, and quality of life for persons of all ages through the prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of hearing, auditory function, balance, and other related systems. http://www.asha.org/docs/html/SP2004-00192.html#sec1.3

AAA Definition An audiologist is a person who, by virtue of

academic degree, clinical training, and license to practice and/or professional credential, is uniquely qualified to provide a comprehensive array of professional services related to the prevention of hearing loss and the audiologic identification, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of persons with impairment of auditory and vestibular function, and to the prevention of impairments associated with them. http://www.audiology.org/publications/documents/practice/

What is an Audiologist?

ASHAAAA

Audiologists are professionals engaged in autonomous practice to promote healthy hearing, communication competency, and quality of life for persons of all ages through the prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of hearing, auditory function, balance, and other related systems. http://www.asha.org/docs/html/SP2004-00192.html#sec1.3

An audiologist is a person who, by virtue of academic degree, clinical training, and license to practice and/or professional credential, is uniquely qualified to provide a comprehensive array of professional services related to the prevention of hearing loss and the audiologic identification, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of persons with impairment of auditory and vestibular function, and to the prevention of impairments associated with them. http://www.audiology.org/publications/documents/practice/

Can Audiologist “diagnose”?

Controversial Point:Roeser states: Some argue that audiologists cannot provide a diagnosis because they are not physicians, and only physicians have the credentials to give medical diagnosis.

ASHA scope of practice:“Audiologists provide comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative services for all areas of audiology, vestibular and related disorders.”

Roeser concludes: This statement gives audiologists national recognition that they can provide diagnostic testing and interpretation of results as they relate to hearing loss.

Audiological Dx vs. Medical Dx

Audiologist Perform Otoscopy Cerumen Removal Audiometry Speech in Noise Test

s Earmold

Impressions Hearing aid Fitting Hearing aid cleanin

g OAE and Tympanom

etry

Tinnitus treatment Real Ear Probe Meas

urements Electropysiology

(ABR, ECOG, VEMP, ASSR etc.)

Vestibular Tests