Audiologist

What is an audiologist?

Clinical audiologists are healthcare providers who measure and assess how well a person can hear sounds. They focus on treating people with hearing disorders. Audiologists often give people advice on:

How language is learned and spoken
The anatomy of the ear, brain, and nerves
Causes of hearing loss
Aural rehab. This includes ways for hearing-impaired people to improve how they speak and communicate.
Hearing aids
Lip reading and sign language

Audiologists give hearing exams. They test for middle ear disease. They treat people with balance problems, and they fit hearing aids. They work in different settings. These include:

Hospitals
Inpatient rehab centers
Long-term care facilities
Home health settings
Schools
Private practice
State and federal government agencies
Community clinics, such as community hearing and speech centers
Colleges and universities

Many audiologists have a master's degree. Some have a clinical doctorate degree in audiology. Audiologists are certified nationally. This is done by the American Speech Language Hearing Association. This group gives a Certificate of Clinical Competence-Audiology (CCC-A). Or the American Board of Audiology (ABA) may give the certification.