Audiology Competencies

• Identify, assess, diagnose, manage, and interpret test results related to disorders of human hearing, balance, and other neural systems
• Perform otoscopic examination and external ear canal management for the removal of cerumen in order to evaluate hearing or balance, make ear impressions, fit hearing protection or prosthetic devices, and monitor the continuous use of hearing aids
• Conduct and interpret behavioral, electroacoustic, or electrophsioligc methods used to assess hearing, balance, and neural system function
• Evaluate and manage children and adults with central auditory processing disorders
• Supervise and conduct newborn hearing screening programs
• Measure and interpret sensory and motor-evoked potentials, electromyography, and other electrodiagnostic tests for purposes of neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring and cranial nerve assessment
• Provide hearing care by selecting, evaluating, fitting, facilitating adjustment to, and dispensing prosthetic devices for hearing loss-including hearing aids, sensory aids, hearing assistive devices, alerting and telecommunication systems, and captioning devices
• Assess the candidacy of persons with hearing loss for cochlear implants and provision of fitting, programming, and audiological rehabilitation to optimize device use
• Provide audiological rehabilitation, including speech reading, communication management, language development, auditory skill development, and counseling for psychosocial adjustment to hearing loss for persons with hearing loss and their families/ caregivers
• Consult with educators as members of interdisciplinary teams regarding communication management, the educational implications of hearing loss, educational programming, classroom acoustics, and large-area amplification systems for children with hearing loss
• Prevent hearing loss and conserve hearing function by designing, implementing, and coordinating occupational, school, and community hearing conservation and identification programs
• Consult and provide rehabilitation to persons with balance disorders using habituation, exercise therapy, and balance retraining
• Design and conduct basic and applied audiologic research to increase the knowledge base, to develop new methods and programs, and to determine the efficacy of assessment and treatment paradigms. Disseminate research findings to other professionals and to the public.
• Educate and administer audiology graduate and professional education programs
• Measure functional outcomes, consumer satisfaction, effectiveness, efficiency, and the cost benefit of practices and programs in order to maintain and improve the quality of audiological services
• Supervise professional and technical personnel who provide support functions to the practice of audiology
• Screen speech-language, the use of sign language, and other factors affecting communication function for the purposes of an audioligc evaluation and/or initial identification of individuals with other communication disorders
• Consult about accessibility for persons with hearing loss in public and private buildings, programs, and services
• Perform assessment and nonmedical management of tinnitus using biofeedback, masking, hearing aids, education, and counseling
• Act as a consultant to individuals, public and private agencies, and governmental bodies regarding the effects of hearing loss and balance system disorders, as well as relevant noise-related considerations. Also act as an expert witness regarding legal interpretations of audiology findings
• Provide case management and service as a liaison for the consumer, family, and agencies in order to monitor audiologic status and management and to make recommendations regarding educational and vocational programming
• Consult to industry on the development of products and instrumentation related to the measurement and management of the auditory of balance function
• Participate in the development of professional and technical standards