EAA Position StatementsAudiology Assistants in Educational Audiology Settings (approved February 2023): The purpose of an assistant is to support the lead professional in performing routine duties. For audiology, the assistant performs tasks that are prescribed, directed and supervised by a licensed educational audiologist. This support enables the educational audiologist to focus on more complex responsibilities related to student care. Read more… Educational Audiology Scope of Practice (August 2019): The purpose of the EAA Scope of Practice statement is to identify and describe areas that are unique to the practice of audiology in education settings. Accordingly, this statement should inform educational licensure requirements for school-based audiologists, local school district educational audiology practice (NASDSE, 2018) as well as Au.D. and post-graduate professional development coursework in educational audiology. This statement expands on the audiology scope of practice statements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA, 2018) and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA, 2004). Read more… Hearing Access Technology (approved June 2018): Hearing assistance technology (HAT) continues to evolve and improve hearing accessibility for individuals with hearing and listening problems. As required by IDEA, audiologists must “determine the child’s need for individual amplification, including selecting, fitting, and dispensing of appropriate listening and vibrotactile devices, and evaluating the effectiveness of those devices” [34CFR300.34(c)(1)(vi)]. Therefore, to ensure appropriate services, educational audiologists must have an active role in candidacy determination, device selection, fitting, validation, and management of appropriate hearing instruments for children/youth. Read more... Hearing Screening Considerations for Children with Significant Disabilities (approved October 2021): This document provides guidance to educational audiologists and school health services personnel for designing and implementing effective hearing screening programs for school age children (3-21) with additional disabilities. Read more… Over the Counter Hearing Aids (approved February 2018): The Food and Drug Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on August 3, 2017. This legislation includes the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 that mandated the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop regulations for the purchase of over the counter (OTC) hearing aids by adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. The intent of this bill was to increase affordable access to hearing health care by individuals over 18 years of age. However, in doing so, consumers can bypass diagnostic hearing evaluations and consultation with an audiologist. Read more… Roles and Responsibilities of Educational Audiologists in EHDI and Early Childhood Programs (approved October 2023): Audiologists who are employed in school settings have an opportunity as well as responsibility to promote early detection and intervention of hearing loss. While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of audiology includes identification of children with hearing loss, the responsibility of population-based screening activities are generally considered health initiatives rather than special education responsibilities. In addition to identification, IDEA mandates assessment, referral, provision of amplification and habilitation services, and counseling parents and teachers. Read more… Supporting Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Shared and Suggested Roles of Educational Audiologists and Clinical Audiologists (approved May 2022): This document is recommended/suggested as a framework for discussion between Educational Audiologists and Clinical Audiologists to facilitate collaboration and provide comprehensive services for the student. It is intended to provide a template of the roles an audiologist can serve to improve communication and clarity for all professionals serving students. Roles and responsibilities may vary based on areas of expertise and availability of each provider. View form… Supporting Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Shared and Suggested Roles of Educational Audiologists, Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Speech-Language Pathologists |