A career as an educational audiologist primarily revolves around helping students with hearing impairments. The essential aim of this position is to treat children with auditory difficulties in order to enhance their learning experience and provide the best possible education. Success as an educational audiologist usually depends upon a compassionate nature and excellent communication skills. Some common job duties include performing tests on students with hearing problems, recommending treatment options, educating teachers on students' hearing difficulties, monitoring students' progress and keeping student records.
One of the most fundamental duties of an educational audiologist is performing auditory tests on students with hearing problems. This can include students who are completely deaf or students who are hard of hearing. To gauge the severity of a student's condition and develop the ideal treatment plan, an educational audiologist will often conduct evaluations such as ear examinations and tympanometry testing. This practice will help him get a better idea of what a student's hearing condition is.
As he discovers the degree of a student's hearing impairment, an educational audiologist will recommend treatment options to the student's teachers and parents. For a student with minor hearing problems, this might simply involve moving her to the front of the class. The educational audiologist might recommend an assistive listening device to amplify sound for a student with severe hearing problems.
Another part of this job involves educating teachers on students' hearing difficulties. To optimize a student's learning experience, an educational audiologist will usually explain her situation to each teacher. He might also suggest certain teaching strategies that will benefit the student. To be effective, this position requires a person who can clearly communicate with both teachers and students.
Continually monitoring the progress of students is also important. This usually involves meeting with students to discuss treatment progress and to determine if any further action needs to be taken. For example, if a student is using an assistive listening device, an educational audiologist might ask how much better her hearing is. He may also ask if she needs a device with greater amplification abilities.
In addition, an individual in this position will often be responsible for keeping student records on file. To provide a student with the best treatments, it's important to keep careful documentation of her hearing impairments, implemented treatments and results. This information can be useful for recognizing which treatments have worked and can be shared with other audiologists later on.