Audiologist

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

An audiologist could...

Overview Listen to this section

On each side of your head is the auditory system, one of the most beautifully designed organs in the human body. The auditory system not only detects sound, but is closely tied to the vestibular system, which helps a person with balance, and knowing how his or her body is moving through space. Audiologists detect, diagnose, and develop treatment plans for people of all ages who have problems with hearing, balance, or spatial positioning. This important work impacts how well a person is able to communicate and function at home, school, and work.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of an Audiologist?

1. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
3. Social Perceptiveness: ? Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
4. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
5. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.

6. Active Learning: ? Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
7. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
8. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
9. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
10. Service Orientation: ? Actively looking for ways to help people.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks an Audiologist might do:

• Maintain patient records at all stages, including initial and subsequent evaluation and treatment activities.
• Evaluate hearing and balance disorders to determine diagnoses and courses of treatment.
• Fit, dispense, and repair assistive devices, such as hearing aids.
• Administer hearing tests and examine patients to collect information on type and degree of impairment, using specialized instruments and electronic equipment.
• Monitor patients' progress and provide ongoing observation of hearing or balance status.
• Instruct patients, parents, teachers, or employers in communication strategies to maximize effective receptive communication.
• Counsel and instruct patients and their families in techniques to improve hearing and communication related to hearing loss.
• Participate in conferences or training to update or share knowledge of new hearing or balance disorder treatment methods or technologies.
• Refer patients to additional medical or educational services, if needed.
• Examine and clean patients' ear canals.
• Advise educators or other medical staff on hearing or balance topics.
• Recommend assistive devices according to patients' needs or nature of impairments.
• Program and monitor cochlear implants to fit the needs of patients.
• Educate and supervise audiology students and health care personnel.
• Plan and conduct treatment programs for patients' hearing or balance problems, consulting with educators, physicians, nurses, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and other health care personnel, as necessary.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams to assess and rehabilitate recipients of implanted hearing devices through auditory training and counseling.
• Conduct or direct research on hearing or balance topics and report findings to help in the development of procedures, technology, or treatments.
• Perform administrative tasks, such as managing office functions and finances.
• Provide information to the public on hearing or balance topics.
• Engage in marketing activities, such as developing marketing plans, to promote business for private practices.
• Measure noise levels in workplaces and conduct hearing conservation programs in industry, military, schools, and communities.
• Develop and supervise hearing screening programs.