Early childhood programs often need to find a pediatric audiologist to partner with when implementing Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) hearing scr
eening.
The audiologist does not conduct the hearing screenings on children, but instead, instructs and monitors program staff in acquiring and maintaining their screening skills and in following an appropriate screening protocol. The
August newsletter focused on new tools available from the ECHO Initiative to empower audiologists to assist
early childhood programs.
We also hear regularly from programs seeking to find
a pediatric audiologist in their area who can become
a partner and/or who can conduct diagnostic assessments on children not passing repeated screenings. In addition to contacting your State
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) and asking for a list of pediatric audiologists in your area, two new resources that you'll want to know about include the:
- American Academy of Audiology directory (You'll probably want to use the "Search by Specialty" option, indicating your location and then selecting "Diagnostics-Pediatric Diagnostics" and/or "Newborn Hearing Screening" as criteria to help locate audiologists who specialize in working with young children.)
If you have alread
y made contact with an audiologist, remember to stay in touch regularly and rely on this valuable resource when you encounter questions or challenges. Consider connecting with your partner audiologist on an annual basis to:
- Discuss training and technical needs, equipment issues, and methods for monitoring your screening outcomes such as pass/refer rates.
- Observe and evaluate your screening techniques and provide feedback and helpful hints (preferably before you do the majority of your screening each year).
