SAC Webinar: Beyond the Clinic Walls – Why Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Need Educational Audiologists

There is no doubt that clinical audiologists do an absolutely fantastic job of providing children with great audibility and access to the sounds of speech. Now what happens after the child leaves your clinic? Real-world communication experiences are fraught with barriers unaddressed by met hearing aid prescriptive targets and parental understanding. For children, the school environment contains the crux of these barriers.

Many children who wear hearing aids, cochlear implants, who may be deaf in one ear, or have other auditory difficulties are attending mainstream educational programs here in Canada. Because hearing loss is a “low incidence” disability, there are not many regular, or even special education teachers who have had training specific to students who are deaf/hard of hearing. So, how can we ensure that students who are deaf/hard of hearing have “access” in their classroom(s)?

Educational audiologists play a crucial role in supporting the access needs of students who are deaf/hard of hearing in their educational settings. This session will provide insight into the status of Educational Audiology in Canada, the roles and responsibilities of the educational audiologist and information about advocating for this essential service.