EAA Position Statements

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.

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. This statement should inform educational licensure requirements for school-based audiologists, local school district practice, and Au.D. and post-graduate professional development coursework in educational audiology.

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 and evaluate the effectiveness of those devices. Educational audiologists must have an active role in candidacy determination, device selection, fitting, validation, and management of appropriate hearing instruments for children and youth.

This document provides guidance to educational audiologists and school health services personnel for designing and implementing effective hearing screening programs for school-age children (ages 3–21) with additional disabilities.

The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 mandated the FDA to develop regulations for the purchase of OTC hearing aids by adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. While intended to increase affordable access to hearing health care, consumers can bypass diagnostic hearing evaluations and consultation with an audiologist.

Audiologists employed in school settings have an opportunity and responsibility to promote early detection and intervention of hearing loss. In addition to identification, IDEA mandates assessment, referral, provision of amplification and habilitation services, and counseling for parents and teachers.

A recent trend in court decisions and federal guidance reminds us that school systems are increasingly being held accountable under IDEA, ADA, and Section 504 for their obligations to assess students in all areas of suspected disability. A comprehensive assessment is needed to obtain a complete picture of a child's needs and plan for appropriate accommodations and interventions.

This document is recommended 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.

Educational audiologists, teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, and speech-language pathologists are critical partners on the school education team. Together, they address the needs of students who are deaf and hard of hearing and promote language and communication access essential for participation and learning. IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA all contain regulations pertinent to the services and accommodations in this guidance document.