Audiology

Today, universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) is allowing for more than 95% of all newborns in the United States to receive a hearing screening prior to discharge from the hospital or birthing center. Following recommendations by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH), children who fail their hearing screening should receive a diagnosis of hearing loss by one month of age, fitted with amplification within one month of diagnosis, and enrolled in family-centered early intervention by six months of age.

According to the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM), the incidence of permanent sensorineural hearing loss in children will triple from 1 in every 300 to 3 in every 300 between birth and school-age. Additionally, many children with severe or profound hearing loss also may be candidates for cochlear implantation. The cochlear implant, a device that provides electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve that artificially provides a sense of hearing, has been shown to have very positive outcomes for young children with hearing loss, especially those who are learning to listen and talk.

Unfortunately, however, there is a shortage of pediatric audiologists who can competently test the hearing of newborns, infants and toddlers suspected of having a hearing loss. The fitting of hearing aids and the programming of cochlear implants with young children with hearing loss requires highly specialized skills that aren’t widely available. Currently, due to universal newborn hearing screening, the need to diagnose hearing loss and fit amplification, and the high number of young children receiving cochlear implants, pediatric audiologists who have these skills are in high demand in a variety of clinical and educational settings.

If you have a passion for working with children with hearing loss and their families, you should consider becoming a pediatric audiologist.  To enhance your training in this area, you can apply to the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language and become a highly sought-after pediatric audiologist who has the knowledge and training to deliver exceptional services to young children with hearing loss and their families.

How to apply to the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language

Students who are currently enrolled in the graduate program in Audiology (Au.D.) may apply for enrollment in the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language, which would be completed during the second and third years of the Au.D. program. Typically, in early February of your first year of graduate study, students will be asked to write a letter of introduction explaining how they became interested in working with young children with hearing loss and why they should be accepted. Once all of the letters are received by a specified date, a panel of faculty members will review the letters of application, and formal interviews will be conducted. Students will be selected for the training based on the demonstrated level of commitment shown in their letters and how well they respond to questions during the interviews. Because the Graduate Studies Program requires additional coursework, students will begin their coursework and practicum the summer after their first year of graduate study.

Tuition and Financial Assistance

Students accepted into the Graduate Studies Program will receive a tuition waiver and a monthly stipend of $600.  Fees are not paid by the Program, and students are expected to pay those expenses. In return for the monthly stipend, students are expected to complete 15 hours of clinical practicum and research experiences each week. Sound Beginnings of Cache Valley, an early intervention program and preschool for children with hearing loss, will be the primary practicum site for graduate students in training. While the exact number will vary depending on your assignments, students should expect to complete approximately 8-10 hours each week in the planning and delivery of direct services to children with hearing loss and their families. The remaining 5-7 hours each week should be focused on developing a research project with a member of the COMD faculty that is related to childhood hearing loss.

Program of Study – Audiology

Graduate students in Audiology who are completing the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language will begin their training during the summer – after their first year of graduate study. Students are expected to meet all of the requirements for the graduate program in Audiology, and the courses listed below are usually in addition to the regular graduate program. The practicum experiences listed below also are in addition to other clinical assignments and practicum experiences expected for graduation and state and national certification.

Summer 1
COMD 6340: Facilitating Auditory Learning & Spoken Language in Young Children with Hearing Loss (3 credits)
COMD 6630: Teaching Speech to Children who are Deaf & Hard of Hearing (3 credits)
COMD 7300: Intermediate Clinical Practicum (2 credits)

Fall 1
COMD 6850:  Research Seminar in Auditory Learning & Spoken Language (1 credits)
COMD 6900: Family Centered Practices for Children with Hearing Loss (3 credits)
COMD 7340: Pediatric Audiology (3 credits)
COMD 7300: Intermediate Clinical Practicum (2 credits)

Spring 1
COMD 6850: Research Seminar in Auditory Learning & Spoken Language (1 credits)
COMD 6900: Multiple Disabilities & Hearing Loss in Children (3 credits)
COMD 7520: Cochlear Implantation (3 credits)

Summer 2
COMD 7300: Intermediate Clinical Practicum (2 credits)

Fall 2
COMD 7300: Intermediate Clinical Practicum (2 credits)

Students who are interested in the field of Audiology and wish to complete the Graduate Studies Program in Auditory Learning and Spoken Language, please contact Dr. K. Todd Houston at (435) 797-0434 or click here to send an e-mail.