Audiological rehabilitation in the schools

The audiologist is the professional best able to manage the complete hearing care of a child who experiences hearing loss of any degree. Even a "mild" hearing loss can sabotage the development of academic competencies, and there is a growing population of school children with mild-moderate hearing loss. Unfortunately, there are far too few audiologists employed in educational settings (approximately 700 nationally), with an average ratio of one audiologist for every 12,000 children; but some have 100,000 children to manage (Blair, Wilson-Vlotman, & Von Almen, 1989; Wilson-Vlotman & Blair, 1986). Audiological rehabilitation begins with an understanding of the realities of working in an educational setting, including legal requirements, the necessity of administrative support, the "failure model" of service delivery, and the importance of the IEP. FM equipment needs to be fit carefully, and used and maintained judiciously. Auditory skills training, integrated into the global learning environment of the child, offers a way to assist the child in learning to use the pivotal auditory modality. As audiologists become stronger advocates for the necessary use and enhancement of hearing, audiological rehabilitation will become more of a reality in school settings.