Audiology is a health care profession concerned with the study of both normal and disordered hearing. The profession evolved from closely related fields such as speech-language pathology, medicine, special education, psychology, and hearing instrumentation.  The term Audiology, in the most literal sense, refers to the science of hearing. A much broader definition of audiology is the discipline involved in the prevention, identification and the evaluation of hearing and balance disorders, the selection and evaluation of hearing aids, and the re-habilitation of individuals with hearing impairment and balance disturbances.  A professional who is specially trained in this area and has a university degree in audiology is called an audiologist. 

WHAT IS AN AUDIOLOGIST?

Audiologists are health care and education professionals who identify, assess, and manage disorders of auditory, balance, and other neural systems. An audiologist will provide audiological (aural) rehabilitation to children and adults across the entire life span. Audiologists select, fit, and dispense amplification systems such as hearing aids and related devices. They also prevent hearing loss through the provision and fitting of hearing protective devices, consultation on the effects of noise on hearing, and consumer education. Audiologists are involved in auditory and related research pertinent to the prevention, identification, and management of hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance systems dysfunction. The may also serve as expert witnesses in litigation related to their areas of expertise.

Qualifications include a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited university, state licensure, completion of a fulltime fellowship and passing a demanding competency examination. These professionals belong to several national organizations guided by a Code of Ethics requiring that audiologic services be provided in an ethical manner. By virtue of their graduate education, professional certification and licensure, audiologists are the most qualified professionals to select and verify the performance of hearing aids.

The services that an audiologist may provide are:

• Testing and diagnosing hearing and balance disorders in infants, children, and adults

• Educating consumers and professionals on the prevention of hearing loss

• Selecting, fitting, and dispensing hearing aids and assistive listening, alerting, and captioning devices

• Participating in hearing conservation programs in industry to prevent workplace-related and recreational hearing loss due to noise

• Participating in screening programs for infants, children, and adults

• Consulting to federal, state and local agencies on reducing community noise

• Conducting research into environmental influences on hearing, new testing methods, and new rehabilitative devices such as cochlear implants

• Working with adults and children who need aural rehabilitation such as auditory training and speechreading.