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AUDIOLOGY TODAYVOLUME 13, NUMBER 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001

AUDIOLOGY TODAY

VOLUME 13, NUMBER 1 AUDIOLOGY TODAY 3

Audiology TodayAudiology Today

Statement of Policy: The American Academy of Audiology publishes Audiology Today as a means of communicating information among its membersabout all aspects of audiology and related topics. Information and statements published in Audiology Today are not official policy of the American Academyof Audiology unless so indicated.

Audiology Today accepts contributed manuscripts dealing with the wide variety of topics of interest to audiologists including clinical activities and hear-ing research, current events, news items, professional issues, individual-institution-organization announcements, entries for the calendar of events and mate-rials from other areas within the scope of practice of audiology. Audiology Today welcomes feature articles, essays of professional opinion, special reportsand letters to the editor. Submissions may be subject to editorial review and alteration for clarity and brevity. Closing date for all copy is the 1st day of themonth preceding issue date.

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EDITORIAL BOARDEditor

Jerry L. Northern, PhDVice President, Professional Services, HEARx Ltd.

Editorial Office2681 East Cedar Avenue

Denver, CO 80209(303) 777-4300, FAX (303) 744-2677

[email protected]

EDITORIAL STAFF

Lucille B. BeckV.A. Medical CenterWashington, DC

Carmen C. BrewerWashington Hospital CenterWashington, DC

Marsha McCandlessUniversity of UtahSalt Lake City, UT

Jane MadellBeth Israel Medical CenterNew York, NY

Patricia McCarthyRush-Presb.-St. Luke’s Med. Ctr.Chicago, IL

H. Gustav MuellerAudiology ConsultantCastle Pines, CO

Georgine RayAffiliated Audiology ConsultantsScottsdale, AZ

Jane B. SeatonSeaton ConsultantsAthens, GA

Steven J. StallerCochlear CorporationEnglewood, CO

Deborah HayesThe Children’s HospitalDenver, CO

Suzanne HasenstabMedical College of VirginiaRichmond, VA

Diane RussBeltone Electronics Corp.Chicago, IL

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Richard E. GansAmerican Institute of Balance11290 Park BoulevardSeminole, FL [email protected]

Catherine V. PalmerUniversity of Pittsburgh 4033 Forbes TowerPittsburgh, PA [email protected]

Gail M. WhitelawOhio State University141 Pressey Hall1070 Carmack RoadColumbus, OH [email protected]

President-ElectAngela Loavenbruck

Loavenbruck Audiology, P.C.5 Woodglen Drive

New City, NY [email protected]

Past PresidentRobert G. Glaser

Audiology & Speech Associates15 Southmoor Circle, NEDayton, OH 45429-2407

[email protected]

BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

Term Ending 2003

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident

David FabryMayo Clinic, Audiology Sect. (L5)

200 1st Street, S.W.Rochester, MN [email protected]

Term Ending 2001Alison GrimesProvidence Speech & Hearing1301 Providence AvenueOrange, CA [email protected]

Gyl KasewurmProfessional Hearing Services3134 Niles RoadSt. Joseph, MI [email protected]

Brad StachCentral Institute for the Deaf4560 Clayton AvenueSt. Louis, MO [email protected]

Term Ending 2002Sheila M. DalzellThe Hearing Center, Inc.2561 Lac DeVille Blvd.Rochester, NY [email protected]

Gail I. GudmundsenGudHear, Inc.41 Martin LaneElk Grove, IL [email protected]

Robert W. SweetowUniversity of California MedicalCenter - San Francisco400 Parnassus AvenueSan Francisco, CA [email protected]. edu

ACADEMY MEMBERSHIPDIRECTORY

NOW ONLINE ATwww.audiology.org

Audiology TodayJ A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 1 V O L U M E 1 3 , N U M B E R 1

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 20014 AUDIOLOGY TODAY

The American Academy of Audiology is a professional organization of individuals dedicated to pro-

viding quality hearing care to the public. We enhance the ability of our members to achieve career

and practice objectives through professionaldevelopment, education, research, and increased publicawareness of hearing disorders and audiologic services.

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POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to:Audiology Today, c/o Ed Sullivan, Membership Director,American Academy of Audiology, 8300 GreensboroDrive, Suite 750, McLean, VA 22102-3611.

NATIONAL OFFICEAmerican Academy of Audiology8300 Greensboro Drive, Suite 750

McLean, VA 22102-3611PHONE: 800-AAA-2336 • 703-790-8466

FAX: 703-790-8631Cheryl Kreider Carey • Acting Executive Director

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ext. 213 • rlampmann @ audiology.orgGlorymae Martin • Coordinator of Education

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Delores Willett, CEM • Director of Expositionsext. 207 • [email protected]

Annette Williams • Convention & Exposition Coordinatorext. 215 • [email protected]

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGYThe Long-Range Strategic Plan 9

VIEWPOINTA Different Kind of Communication Disorder — A.U. Bankatis 12

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYGot Rough Professional Questions? You Need To Ask An Audiologist! 15

ABA ADVANCED CERTIFICATION WITH SPECIALTY RECOGNITIONA New Gold Standard of Excellence 16

CLINICAL REPORTAudiology and Autism — Judith Gravel 19

SELECTING HEARING AIDS THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOUA Valuable Tool For Your Practice 24

CONVENTION UPDATEThe Three “Rs”: Re-Tool, Renew, Refresh Your Skills — Lisa Hunter 25

Featured Sessions 26

Making the Most of a Few “Spare” Moments at Convention 2001 28

Student Volunteers Needed! 29

Convention 2001 At-A-Glance 29

MILAN, ITALYNewborn Hearing Systems 2000 32

YEAR IN REVIEW 2000 35

A MOMENT OF SCIENCEInfants Can’t Separate The Trees From The Forest 38— Kelly Tremblay, Lisa Cunningham

2001 CODIE HUMANITARIAN AWARD 44

2001 CODIE INTERNATIONAL AWARDPoonpit Amatyakul — Sumalai Maroonorge 45

KEYNOTE SPEECHTo Survive or To Flourish — Krista Riko 46

ALL CANADIAN CONFERENCE 2000 48

President’s Message 7Education Calendar 33Washington Watch 34

Classified Ads 36News & Announcements 39

Michael Marion,Angela Loavenbruck,and Yvonne Siningerare recognized withplaques at the com-pletion of their three-year terms as mem-bers of the AcademyBoard of Directors.Loavenbruck willremain on the Boardof Directors asPresident-elect of the Academy.


P R E S I D E N T ’ SP R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G EM E S S A G EDAVID FABRY

One of the mostchallenging aspectsof volunteer-led

professional organizations isto maintain consistency ofpurpose from one board tothe next, as one third of themembers rotate off each year.Certainly, the ultimate goalshould be to maintain flexi-bility to the changing educa-tional and professional land-scapes without veering fromthe Academy’s core princi-ples. To that end, Past-President Robert Glaserassembled a committee of thirty-two persons to develop a strategicplanning document for the Academy. The members included thecurrent Board and National Office Staff leaders, plus Academymembers comprising a broad spectrum of experience, practiceareas, and geography. Prior to the face-to-face meeting in January2000, participants completed an extensive workbook that requiredtheir input on a variety of issues, including the Academy’s futuregoals and priorities for the next five years. These “homework”assignments provided the framework for ensuing discussion, and ultimately the foundation for the strategic planning documentcontained in this issue of Audiology Today. I encourage you to read the plan for yourself, and invite your comments by phone, faxor e-mail.

As I assume the role of your Academy president on January 1,2001, I have a number of objectives to accomplish during my oneyear in office. I would like to highlight three of the most importantissues on my agenda. These issues are the clinical practice of audi-ology, post-graduate education and the need for additional researchin audiology.

Clinical practice: Hearing instrument dispensing represents anecessary, but not sufficient component of Audiology’s future suc-cess. Threats posed by competing health care professionals, inter-net applications, and direct-to-consumer sales all are significant,but the underlying issue of “incident to” billing affects the ability ofall audiologists to receive fair compensations for diagnostic andrehabilitative services for hearing and balance. The Academy has

made progress towards the recognition of Audiology by the Health

Care Financing Administration (HCFA) and the Department of

Labor as a health diagnosis category, but more work is necessary.

Autonomy does not preclude collaboration with other health care

workers; it ensures that we can control our own destiny, rather than

allowing others to control us. This will require legislative efforts at

the local, regional, and national levels.

Education: The transition to a doctoral-level profession must

continue. This is essential for a variety of reasons, including pro-

fessional independence, recognition by HCFA as a diagnosing pro-

fession, and in response to our expanding scope of practice. It is

impossible to prepare audiologists with a two-year graduate degree

for state-of-the-art clinical practice in audiology. Further, it is dif-

ficult to justify the need for over 100 training programs in audiolo-

gy. In the future, we must have a fewer number of programs, each

with more faculty and students than in the current system. To that

end, the Academy must assist and facilitate with the development of

accreditation and certification models to ensure that minimum edu-

cational standards are met across all programs. Also, we must

ensure that existing audiologists have a reasonable mechanism for

earning their AuD from a regionally accredited university through

distance education.

Research: One element that has consistently distinguished

Audiology from other hearing health care professions has been our

focus on research. It is the bedrock on which education and clinical

practice are based, and yet less than a dozen PhDs were granted in

Audiology last year in the United States. We cannot meet the

demand for teaching, science, and leadership without growing these

numbers; further, Audiology’s presence at NIH, in terms of funding

and committee participation must also increase. To that end, the

Academy must provide greater support for researchers devoted to

the study of hearing and balance mechanisms. The focus on clinical

service provision and the AuD must not undermine the integrity and

importance of the PhD to our professional future.

Just as blueprints need bricks and mortar, goals require action to

be realized, and this is impossible without persistence, hard work,

and the efforts of many. I look forward to working for you and with

you during the years ahead as we embark on our new strategic plan

and the need to move issues of clinical practice, education and

research onward and upward.

David Fabry

B l u e p r i n t f o r t h e F u t u r e


CORE VALUEAs a member-based organization, the

American Academy of Audiology feels thateach and every one of its actions should bebased upon the core value that members arefirst. This premise means that above all otherconsiderations member welfare should rep-resent the Academy’s call to action.

CORE PURPOSEThe Academy’s core purpose is to

enhance professional welfare by providingprofessional development through servicesand through continuing education. Enhanc-ing member welfare includes ensuring ourautonomy by promoting the profession’srecognition among consumers, health careorganizations and legislative and regulatoryagencies. Our autonomous practice will leadto our continued professional viability.

MISSION STATEMENTThe mission of the American Academy

of Audiology is to foster the provision ofefficacious hearing health care that optimallymeets the nonmedical needs of persons withimpaired hearing.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

The planning session participants identi-fied seven critical areas that will lead to thesuccess of the Academy and thereby providevalue to its members:1. The Academy’s strategies and action

plans must be consistent with trends inhealthcare delivery.

2. The Academy must cultivate trusting,cooperative relationships with audiologyeducational programs so that the trainingprovided to future audiologists is consis-tent with the mission.

3. The Academy must work cooperativelywith other organizations that share theAcademy’s vision and mission.

4. The Academy must move toward betterrepresentation of consumers and con-sumer interests.

5. The Academy must remain flexible in itsview of the audiologist’s role in hearinghealthcare delivery, including servicedelivery models, educational models,rehabilitative strategies and so forth.

6. The Academy needs to foster and supportoutcomes-oriented clinical research andthe development of clinical researchers.

7. The Academy needs to foster coopera-tive interactions among consumers,practitioners, clinical researchers, manu-facturers and (when appropriate) govern-ment regulators that result in hearinghealthcare products and services thatmeet consumer needs and expectations.

GAPS THAT EXIST IN AAA’S CRITICALSUCCESS FACTORS

Participants of the strategic planning ses-sion identified several gaps that interferewith the professional autonomy and publicperception of the profession. Those gapsidentified include:

• Lack of agreement among professionalsregarding the AuD degree

• Lack of cooperation between profession-al organizations

• Limited number of AuD programs• Lack of consumer and professional

awareness of audiology• Lack of awareness of ABA certification

program• Lack of definition and recognition by

other professionals.Following examination of these points, it

was recommended that the Academy attemptto define, support and communicate theimportance of ABA certification to members,consumers and other professional agencies.In addition, outcomes of the session suggest-ed the need to establish relationships withstate licensing agencies and to develop a planfor members to become involved with theirindividual health care communities.

Outcomes of the session indicated thatthe profession of audiology may suffer from

the lack of research in the future. Gaps iden-tified include:

• Limited research conducted byaudiologists

• Shortage of PhD researchers and men-tors in academic environments

• Shortage of resources available forresearch.Participants in the strategic planning ses-

sion examined the collaborative relationshipsof audiology related associations and foundthat these relationships may be interferingwith unification of the profession. Resultsof this investigation revealed the followinggaps that prevent growth of the Academy:

• Lack of unity within Academy membership• Inadequate communication between the

Board and membership• Limited member participation• Fighting among professional associations.

Several objectives were selected topromote growth and to initiate improvedcommunications both between the Academyand its membership and between theAcademy and other professional organiza-tions. The Academy website should beupgraded to become a better informationportal to the membership and a listservshould be developed and promoted toencourage reciprocal communication amongand between members and the governingbody of the Academy.

ACTION PLAN

Following careful evaluation and assess-ment of the results of the Strategic PlanningSession, an Action Plan was devised with agoal for completion by the end of 2005.Strategies selected to accomplish this actionplan include:Objective - Transitioning the profession todoctoral levelGoals:

• 30 AuD programs will exist and 100% ofnew students will be trained at thedoctoral level.

• 10 distance learning AuD programs willprovide sufficient enrollment to transitionremaining masters level audiologists to thedoctoral level and 5 training programs willaward both a PhD and an AuD degree.

• 25% of Academy members will possess adoctoral degree.

Action Steps:• Work with existing and proposed

audiology programs to implement AuDfour year and distance learning programs.

• Develop and disseminate educationalmaterials to Academy members to

A M E R I C A N A C A D E M Y O F A U D I O L O G Y

THE LONG-RANGE STRATEGIC PLAN

The American Academy of Audiology reviews its hopes, ambitions and vision for theprofession every five years. This past January in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 32 invitedparticipants provided guidance for the Academy’s new five-year strategic plan. These

individuals consisted of the Board of Directors and audiologists from all workplace settings. Renewal of the strategic plan every five years is crucial in the ability of the organization

to serve its members. Since its inception the purpose of the Academy is to function as anorganization of, by and for audiologists. However, details in terms of how the organizationviews itself and its relationship to consumers and to the marketplace needs to be articulatedas well as providing a road map for future directions.


encourage enrollment and participationin AuD programs.

• Hold national meetings to develop ed-ucational goals and delivery mechanisms.

• Formulate a plan to market the AuD toundergraduate programs at key universities(Academy Marketing Committee).

• Prepare materials that can be modifiedand used as marketing materials to recruitthe best and brightest students into theprofession (Residency MatchingProgram).

Objective - Third party reimbursementincrease a minimum of 4-5%Goals:

• HCFA will recognize audiology as thepoint of entry for hearing healthcare ser-vices before the end of 2005.

• Audiology will be placed in the healthdiagnosis category of the SOC codeswithin two years.

• Payment to audiologists will be on parwith physicians within the next year.

Action Steps:• Establish a network of audiologists to be

resources for Academy members withreimbursement questions.

• Publish reimbursement information onthe website and in audiology publicationswhenever possible.

• Promote ongoing communication with HCFAthrough Chair of Reimbursement Committeeand Chair of Governmental Affairs.

• Establish relationships with all statelicensure boards.

Objective - Promote ABA certificationGoals:

• The number of ABA certificate holderswill increase by 25% over the nexttwelve months.

Action Steps:• Licensure lists from all 50 states will be

obtained by the end of 2000 and ABAmaterials will be mailed to all active mem-bers and prospective members.

• Ten university programs will be targetedover the next six months and ABAmaterials will be distributed to each.

• The purpose of the ABA certification will be communicated with member-ship through the website and Academypublications.

Objective - Increase proportion of non-dues generated revenueGoals:

• At least 50% of nondues revenue will beprovided through programs other than the

Annual Meeting and Convention by theend of 2005.

• Nondues revenue will increase to atleast 50% of the revenue base by theend of 2003.

Action Steps:• Develop a proposal for products and ser-

vices to increase nondues revenuesincluding estimated revenues and developplan for implementation with appropriatetime frame.

• Assign an individual to monitor the pro-portion of nondues revenue to makequarterly reports to the ExecutiveDirector and the Board.

Objective - Improve communicationbetween the Board and members ofthe AcademyGoals:

• Timely information will be providedbetween the Board and members of theAcademy and provide method of

A M E R I C A N A C A D E M Y O F A U D I O L O G Y

LONG RANGE STRATEGIC PLAN

AUDIOLOGY TODAY 11

RevenueAnnual Convention $1,588,802

Membership Dues 896,659

Audiology Today 301,957

Marketing 160,020

Continuing Education 96,608

JAAA 71,990

Publications 46,370

Investment Income 38,063

Mailing Lists 24,987

Certification 17,745

Miscellaneous 3,828

Total $3,247,029

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGY

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIESFiscal Summary:

Year End December 31, 2000

Convention

Administration

Other Membership

Services

PublicationsandCommunications

Expenses by Function

34%

17%

38%

11%

exchange of information among members by the end of 2001.• Appropriate staff will be integrated into all communication

meetings and conference calls by end of 2001. • 25% of members will be contacted by the end of 2001.

Action Steps:• Continue Members Concerns Program.• Hire new staff member to assist with all communication

issues.• Establish listserv for members.• Provide training to key office personnel on function of audiol-

ogists in daily life.Objective - Promote awareness of profession of audiologyGoals:

• Promotion of profession will occur through both publicawareness efforts and widespread recruitment of potential stu-dents in various health related fields before the end of 2001.

• A Consumer Marketing Campaign will be developed for useby Academy members by the end of 2001.

• The importance of the Audiology Awareness Campaign willbe analyzed and involvement of the Academy will be deter-mined by the end of 2001.

• Increase visibility of audiology with national and state legislatorsby the end of 2001.

Action Steps:• Meet with marketing consultants to develop plan to improve

awareness of audiology.• Continue legislative efforts to clearly define audiologists in state

and federal laws.• Develop a plan to educate children and prospective students

about the profession of audiology.• Develop marketing materials for the profession and distribute

the information to strategic points across the country.• Hire marketing director for Academy staff.

Objective - Foster and support outcomes-oriented clinicalresearch and the development of clinical researchersGoals:

• The number of audiologists involved in clinical research willincrease by 25%.

• A central repository for data collection and dissemination willbe developed/implemented before the end of 2001.

• Additional practice algorithms will be developed/implementedby Dec. 31, 2001.

• A course in clinical research to be presented annually at theAnnual Convention will be developed and initially presentedbeginning in April, 2001.

Action Steps:• Create incentives for research within the Academy or

Foundation.• Introduce Mentoring Program at 2001 Convention.• Develop and market course on clinical research for 2001

Convention.• Provide a forum on the Academy website for research infor-

mation.• Distribute the existing practice algorithms.

LONG RANGE STRATEGIC PLAN


Audiologists may find them-selves dealing with a com-munication disorder thatreceives little or no attentionacademically or profession-ally. This communication

disorder is not a syndrome or a clinicalentity. Rather, it is a situation that an audi-ologist may find him or herself in whendealing with the media, resulting in variouslevels or forms of miscommunication or adisorder of communication; hence, a differ-ent kind of “communication disorder”.

Most interactions with the media arestraightforward; however, the potential formiscommunication always exists. Notlong ago, I found myself in the midst of a“communication disorder”. Audiologyrelated infection control is a personal areaof clinical and academic interest. As such,a preliminary study was recently completedat St. Louis University Medical Center inwhich hearing aid surfaces were swabbedand analyzed for bacterial and/or fungalcontent. Upon completion of the study thehospital’s Department of Public Relations(PR) contacted me regarding the results,implications and conclusions of the study.Since research or clinical activity potential-ly generates good publicity the PR depart-ment often contacts employees in thesevery situations. With regard to the hearingaid study, the initial response was “no com-ment” since no conclusions could bereached as a result of the study. Eventually,I reluctantly agreed to share some of thefindings of the study, including some of therecovered microorganisms found on hear-ing aid surfaces.

Similar to a classic game of “Telephone”in which one person whispers a statementto another person, who repeats it to anoth-er, then to another, the statement heard atthe end of the “telephone line” does notnecessarily accurately reflect the originalstatement. The sharing of information witha PR department often results in a one

page press release summarizing a story orevent. The press release, typically approvedby parties involved, is then released tothose sources who pay the PR departmentto have their name on such a list. Fromthat point the information may be re-released to other sources an infinite num-ber of times. In my case, one radio stationin Washington DC and one newspaper inAkron, Ohio picked up the study. However,the headline messages in both cases hadacquired an alarming tone warning listen-ers and readers alike that seeking the clini-cal services of an audiologist may be ‘haz-ardous to your health’ and that hearing aids‘are linked to causing meningitis’.Obviously, those statements did not accu-rately reflect or interpret information origi-nally provided; however, the misleadinginformation was circulating. In my mindthe communication disorder, at this point,quickly turned into a communication disas-ter and assistance was sought from theAmerican Academy of Audiology.President Robert Glaser, CommunicationsDirector Sydney Davis, the St. LouisUniversity Public Relations Departmentand I worked together to issue a pressrelease that not only clarified the mislead-ing headlines but informed the media ofhearing loss and the importance of seekinghearing health care from audiologists.

On a daily basis, audiologists relay sig-nificant amounts of information with col-leagues, patients, students and other pro-fessionals. From time to time audiologistsare asked to provide information, feedback,insight or clarifications regarding hearingloss, clinical strategies or technologicaladvances to the media. The media servesas a platform from which our expertise isshared with the general public. In thisinstance, we not only do a good thing bysharing our knowledge, we simultaneouslyadvertise our services as well as the pro-fession of audiology to an audience muchlarger than our daily clinical load.

Discussing relevant information with themedia appears to be a natural extension ofprofessional responsibility since most ofthe information sought by the media relatesand closely mirrors information we wouldpresent to patients. Nevertheless, the fol-lowing general thoughts should be kept inmind when dealing with the media:

• The job of the media is to relay informa-tion; however, it also involves catchyheadlines that can sometimes create astory when one really does not exist.

• The target audience is a general publicwith very limited knowledge of audiologyand audiology issues. Too much infor-mation may be counterproductive.

• For live radio or TV interviews, ask forquestions ahead of time in order to pre-pare appropriately. If questions are notprovided, prepare a list of potential ques-tions in your own mind and prepareappropriately.

• Do not be pressured into an interviewand/or making statements based on the-oretical or hypothetical instances.

• In the event of an anticipated pressrelease, have at least one colleaguereview the information and provide feed-back prior to providing approval.

• In the event of an anticipated pressrelease, have at least one lay personreview the information and provide feed-back prior to providing approval.

Academy members should contact theDirector of Communications at the NationalOffice of the American Academy ofAudiology for assistance with public rela-tions matters.

V I E W P O I N T

A Different Kind of Communication DisorderA.U. Bankaitis, Marketing and Clinical Affairs Divisions, Otologics, LLC, Boulder, CO

The opinions expressed in this Viewpoint are

those of the author(s) and in no way should

be construed as representative of the Editor,

officers or staff of the American Academy

of Audiology.


How many times have you come upagainst a tough case or a technicalquestion and not known where to turn?You could phone a colleague…. butthat’s not a sure thing. You could digout your old textbooks… but whowants to climb up to the attic? Youcould just wing it… but that’s univer-sally frowned upon by your profession.So what’s an audiologist to do?

Point your web browser to www.audiology.org and tap into TheAcademy’s expert panel of audi-ologists. Provided as a ser-vice to our members, AskAn Expert! is here to helpyou tackle the toughesttechnical challenges andthe trickiest professionalquestions.

With Ask An Expert!, youcan quickly find answers toquestions about diagnosis, cali-bration, reimbursement, hearing aids,legislative issues and much more.Here’s how it works: Go to Ask AnExpert! (under ProfessionalResources at www.audiology.org), click on a topic or onan expert’s e-mail address,type in your question, andyou will receive a person-al response from one ofour experts within 24hours. It’s that simple!

Led by Ombudsman Dennis VanVliet, our panel includes the best andbrightest audiology has to offer. Theyare ready to answer your questions,help you find references, and suggestresources that can help in yourresearch. You will find frequently askedquestions and answers archived andgrouped by topic in a special ReferenceResource Area. In fact, it’s a good ideato check there first, before e-mailingyour question.

Consumers will find their own simpli-fied version of Ask An Audiologist! inthe Consumer Resources area ofwww.audiology.org. They’re invited toe-mail Dennis Van Vliet with their ques-

tions, and Van Vliet will in turn refertheir e-mail to the proper expert, theNational Office, or another resource foran answer. Consumers can expect anexpert reply within 48 hours. This fea-ture will work in conjunction with thespecial Ask An Audiologist! bulletinboard where consumers can check for

frequently asked (and answered) ques-tions from our panel.

Nowhere on the web will you find somuch audiology expertise in one place.In fact, it’s like having your ownresource consultants right on your desk-top! So go to Ask An Audiologist! todaywith your toughest audiology ques-tions…. Our expert panel is standing by.

Ask TheAudiologyExperts:Ask An Audiologist! Dennis Van VlietBalance Assessment & Vestibular RehabilitationRichard Gans Diagnostic & Clinical AudiologyLisa Hunter

Hearing AidsRuth BentlerLegislative IssuesCraig JohnsonReimbursementSheila Dalzell

Pediatrics and Infants Sandy Gabbard

Technology, Computers andthe InternetGlen Meier

Tinnitus & Intra-Operative MonitoringWilliam Martin

I N F O R M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y

Got Tough Professional Questions? You Need To Ask An Audiologist!

Consumer Resources

Panel of Audiologist Experts

Allied Professional Organizations

The AcademyNational Office

Government Clearinghouses

Affiliated Audiology Organizations

Professional Resources

Balance Assessment & Vestibular Rehabilitation

Diagnostic & Clinical Audiology

Hearing Aids

Legislative Issues

Reimbursement

Pediatrics and Infants

Technology, Computers and the Internet

Tinnitus & Intra-Operative Monitoring

The AcademyNational Office

Allied Professional Organizations

Ask AnAudiologist!

Dennis VanVliet


On the weekend of November 18, 19, and20, 2000 a special task force of the AmericanBoard of Audiology (ABA) met at the AmericanAcademy of Audiology headquarters to developa program of advanced certification with spe-cialty recognition. The members of the taskforce consisted of members of the ABA and non-board members selected using the following cri-teria: they were likely to apply for such certifica-tion, generally supported the notion of advancedcertification with specialty recognition, but hadno preconceived notion about the process. Themeeting resulted from a vision for the profes-sion developed at a long range planning sessionof the ABA in October 1999. The Board ofGovernors of the ABA believes that our existingprogram of board certification clearly establish-es that audiologists function as independenthearing healthcare professionals. Board certifi-cation in audiology communicates to the gener-al public assurance that they will be well treatedby an audiologist who is competent in a widerange of professional activities. Advanced certi-fication with specialty recognition identifies indi-viduals with additional expertise in a specialtyarea of audiology. The advanced certificationprogram will function in concert with the ABAboard certification program, but independent ofthat program in that audiologists may chose toparticipate in either program alone, or both.

Like the ABA board certification program,participation in the advanced certification with specialty recognition programwill be completely voluntary and not a prerequisite for clinical practice. Statelicensure or registration (applicable in 47 states) is the minimum legalrequirement for practicing audiology. Board certification is a standard beyondlicensure that is achieved by many of our colleagues in other professions andis a credential that is recognized by employers and the general public alike.Board Certification in Audiology strengthens our profession and enhances ourprofessional status with our professional colleagues and patients. Theadvanced certification with specialty recognition program is intended to com-plement board certification that identifies audiologists with special expertise

and experience in areas of specialization.The task force met to address two primary goals: to

design a program for Advanced Certification with SpecialtyRecognition; and, to develop an action plan for implementingthat program, including identifying necessary resources.Through discussions led by facilitator Brian Walden, many

potential benefits to practitioners of AdvancedCertification with Specialty Recognition wereidentified. These benefits include recognition ofaudiologists' special expertise with consumersand employers. The task force focused ondeveloping mechanisms for identifying theknowledge and skills required for areas of spe-cialty certification and for verifying that individ-uals possess those knowledge and skills.

The task force recognized that the scope ofpractice of audiology encompasses identifi-able areas of clinical practice that demand spe-cific knowledge and expertise. Practice areasdiscussed that might be appropriate for spe-cialty recognition included pediatric audiology,educational audiology, geriatric audiology,amplification and aural rehabilitation, cochlearimplants, occupational hearing conservation,intraoperative monitoring and vestibular evalu-ation and rehabilitation.

The American Board of Audiology willreceive the report of the task force by January1, 2001. The Board's next task will be todevelop plan details for implementation.Members of the Academy will be informed ofprogress as this program develops. Althoughthe goals and general characteristics of theadvanced certification with specialty recogni-tion program have been established, thedetails of the program are yet to be devel-oped. The guiding focus of the ABA is thatthis program serves the needs of audiolo-

gists. To this end, the Board seeks the advice and assistance of interested indi-viduals and organizations. Input should be provided to Robert Keith, Chair,American Board of Audiology or Marilyn Weissman, Director of Certification.You can contact us through 1-800-AAA-2336, or through the Academy web-site at www.audiology.org.

ABA Advanced Certification with Specialty RecognitionA New Gold Standard of Excellence

Five Steps toProfessionalism

1 Graduate degree in audiology

• Trains you to engage in the wide scope of practice enjoyed by audiology

2 State licensure or registration

• Identifies you as legally entitled to practice yourprofession within your scope of practice as identified by your individual state.

3 Membership in professional audiology organizations(e.g. AAA, ADA, EAA, MA, ARA, etc.)

• Provides you with professional continuing education, engages in political, reimbursement, and legislative activities in your behalf, promotes professional activities to the general public, advocates for best practices in the profession, enables interdisciplinary relationships with other organizations, provides professional camaraderie.

4 Board Certification in Audiology

• Identifies audiologists who are competent to practice in a wide range of professional activities

5 Advanced Certification with Specialty Recognition

• Identifies audiologists who have demonstrated distinguished expertise in a specialty area of audiology

For additional information on Board Certification inAudiology and application forms visit our websiteat: http://www.audiology.org/professional/aba/

WWW

Members of the American Board of Audiology Task Forceon Advanced Certification with Specialty Recognition:Robert Keith, Cheryl DeConde Johnson, Dennis Van Vliet,Sharon Fujikawa, Georgine Ray, John Zeigler, Terrey OliverPenn, Alice Holmes, Kay Bachmann, David Hawkins, BillBeck, Jina Scherer; Facilitator: Brian Walden; Staff:Marilyn Weissman, ABA Director of Certification; CherylKreider Carey, Academy Acting Executive Director,

The ABA Board


Families of children with autism encounter multiple challenges.Among the most stressful challenges are yearly identification ofa developmental disorder and subsequent confirmation that the

child is considered to be within the autism spectrum. Similar to otherdevelopmental disabilities including permanent childhood hearing loss(PCHL), autism has profound consequences for the communication,social and behavioral develop-ment of a child. Currently, theaverage age of diagnosis of chil-dren with autism is 6 years, simi-lar to PCHL; however, parentstypically report that they wereaware ‘something was wrong’with their child at about 18months of age, years before thepresence of the disorder is con-firmed. Like PCHL, early identifi-cation, comprehensive evaluationand timely, appropriate interven-tion (evidence-based and acceptedclinical practice) appears to resultin better outcomes for childrenwith autism and their families.

In the midst of seeminglycomplex, controversial and emo-tionally-charged issues surround-ing identification, differentialdiagnosis and current treatment approaches, the Child NeurologySociety (CNS) and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN)requested the development of comprehensive ‘Practice Parameters forthe Diagnosis and Evaluation of Autism’ for their members. A multi-disciplinary panel was brought together, headed by Dr. PaulineFilipek of the University of California, Irvine. While the PracticeParameters were particularly intended for neurologists, a multidisci-plinary Consensus Panel consisting of members of professional andparent organizations and representatives from the National Institutesof Health. Eleven professional organizations, including the AAA,were asked to participate in the process to ensure that a comprehen-sive, multidisciplinary, family-centered plan for the screening andassessment be developed. Treatment recommendations likely will bedeveloped by a similar group in the near future. The practice parame-ters were developed through a thorough literature review; therefore,the recommendations for identification and assessment delineated areconsidered evidenced-based. Each research article considered wasweighted according to the strength of its research design.

The consensus process and the development of the two (now pub-lished) documents were completed through electronic mail and face-to-face meetings. Numerous revisions and modifications of the docu-ments were made. When completed, each representative organizationwas offered the opportunity to endorse the AAN Practice Parameters.The Academy Board of Directors endorsed the Practice Parameters inJuly, 2000.

The purpose of this article is to raise the awareness of audiologists tothe existence of these two aforementioned reports and a third Guidelinesponsored by the New York State Department of Health EarlyIntervention Program. These are important clinical practice documentsthat directly relate to our clinical practice with children with autism. Assuch, the content of these documents will be reviewed specifically

addressing those sections mostrelevant to our profession. Theimportance of a comprehensiveaudiologic evaluation in theassessment of children withautism is stressed in all threereports. It is encouraging thatother professions recognize thatan audiologic evaluation complet-ed by a qualified audiologist is amandatory first step in the identi-fication/diagnostic process. Thethree documents overviewed are:1) the ‘Screening and Diagnosisof Autistic Spectrum Disorders’(1999) published in the Journalof Autism and DevelopmentalDisorders; 2) the PracticeParameters: ‘Screening andDiagnosis of Autism (an evidence-based review)’ from the

Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy ofNeurology (2000) published in Neurology; and, 3) the New York StateClinical Practice Guideline on Autism/Pervasive DevelopmentalDisorders (1999).

1. REVIEW - JOURNAL OF AUTISM ANDDEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS (1999)This is comprehensive report that serves as the detailed basis of

the AAN’s Practice Parameters. The publication delineates the corefeatures of children having autistic spectrum disorders (pervasivedevelopmental disorders) and the three recognized areas of deficit:reciprocal social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communicationand restricted and repetitive behaviors or interests (DSM-IV; APA,1994). The 45-page publication focuses on these criteria, delineat-ing the characteristics and behaviors. In addition to describingautistic spectrum disorder, Asperger disorder, ChildhoodDisintegrative Disorder, Atypical Autism/PDD Not OtherwiseSpecified (PDD-NOS) and Rhett Syndrome are also reviewed.

The report suggests that the screening and diagnosis of childrenwith autism involves two stages or “levels”. Level 1 is the broad devel-opmental screening stage (developmental surveillance) that is intend-ed to identify infants and children who are at risk for atypical devel-opment. A high index of suspicion in Level 1 screening necessitatesspecific testing. Level 1 test results consistent with a developmentaldelay requires that the child be referred to early intervention programs

Audiology and AutismPractice Parameters for Identification and Assessment

C L I N I C A L R E P O R T

Judith Gravel, Albert Einstein College of medicine, New York


or to the school district as well as comprehen-sive Level 2 evaluations. Level 2 is comprisedof formal diagnostic procedures, specifically,comprehensive evaluation (profiling) of thechild’s strengths and weaknesses in variousdevelopmental areas (for later design of anindividualized intervention program) and acomplete medical and neurological evaluation.

At the outset, the Level 1 ‘investigationsand specific screenings’ include a completeaudiologic evaluation. The screening anddiagnosis algorithm both recognizes andaffirms the importance of a formal audiologicassessment in the differential diagnosis ofchildren suspected of having a developmentaldisorder. The section titled ‘FormalAudiologic Assessment’ is specific withregard to the importance of early detection ofhearing loss and the potential for co-occur-rence of autism and hearing loss. The increas-ing availability of newborn hearing screeningis discussed with the benefit of early detectionof infants with permanent hearing loss presentat birth. However, the section cautions thatuntil such time as newborn hearing screeningis ‘universal’, any child with “delayed lan-guage or at risk for autism should be providedwith a referral for audiologic testing on thesame day that a concern is identified” (p. 453).Parent concern regarding auditory responses(decrease sensitivity, inconsistent response, noresponse or unusual response to environmen-tal sounds and sources) would also necessitateimmediate referral for audiologic assessment.The description of Level 1 states unequivocal-ly that a ‘comprehensive hearing test shouldbe provided by an audiologist with experiencein the assessment of young and difficult to testpopulations’. Importantly, the need for a refer-ral to an audiologist is stressed regardless ofthe results of any neonatal hearing screening.Early assessment and the use of a test batteryapproach (behavioral audiometry, middle earmeasurement and electrophysiologic proce-dures) is stressed. Some cautions are profferedincluding the reliance on unconditionedresponse procedures (behavioral observationaudiometry, BOA) for estimating hearing sen-sitivity in children suspected of developmentaldelays. A brief review of the use of operantaudiometry techniques follows. A section onthe role of auditory electrophysiology (specif-ically, the auditory brainstem response, ABR),evoked otoacoustic emissions and middle earmeasurement follows. In all cases when litera-ture was available to support the use of a spe-

cific test technique or assessment protocolwith young children at risk for autism (oranother developmental disorder), referenceswere provided.

The section on the Level 1 audiologicassessment concludes with several recom-mendations: 1) avoid any delay in referral forcomprehensive audiologic evaluation; 2) seekfacilities with experienced audiologists andcurrent technologies; otherwise, enter a con-sortium arrangement for service provision; 3)provide referral for medical evaluation when

hearing loss is detected; 4) actively partici-pate in the surveillance process; 5) refer chil-dren for in depth psychological and sensori-motor assessment when a developmental dis-order (regardless of hearing loss status) issuspected; and, 6) aggressively monitor andfollow children with autism who develop oti-tis media with effusion.

The recommendation section at the conclusion of this comprehensive review reiterates the importance of parental and




practitioner concern regarding speech, lan-guage or hearing problems. The recommen-dations specify that concern should result in“immediate referral for a formal audiologicassessment regardless of whether or not thechild passed a neonatal hearing screen” (p.469). Again the concluding recommendationsstress the need for qualified audiologists expe-rienced in the assessment of infants and youngchildren and the availability of appropriatefacilities and technologies for the completionof a comprehensive audiologic evaluation.

2. PRACTICE PARAMETERS- NEUROLOGY (2000)

The Quality Standards Subcommittee(QSS) of the American Academy ofNeurology supported the development ofevidence-based Practice Parameters for clin-ical decision making by physicians withregard to children with autism spectrum dis-orders. The detailed review of 2,500 articlesin the previous report was the basis for thedevelopment of the AAN’s PracticeParameters. Practice Parameters are strate-gies for patient management that assist pro-fessionals in clinical decision making. Thereview of evidence which resulted in thedevelopment of the specific PracticeParameters covered the major areas of sur-veillance, screening and differential diagno-sis of children with developmental disor-ders. Based on the review of evidence,knowledge gaps were identified and a seriesof recommendations for future researchwere generated.

Evidence-Based Practice Parameters

In the Practice Parameters, three typesof recommendations are made based onavailable evidence and expert clinicaljudgement. Evidence-based practice para-meters (i.e., clinical practice guidelines;see below) are held to a rigorous standard.The basis of support catagorizes each rec-ommendation into one of three categories:1) Standard: Meaning that the specific

principle for management reflects ahigh degree of clinical certainty (i.e.,that clinical trials that directly addressthe question have been completed orthat there is overwhelming evidencefrom well-executed research investiga-tions when the randomized clinicaltrial design is precluded).

2) Guideline: Meaning that there is

moderate clinical certainty (usuallythis recommendation requires well-designed and executed studies or astrong consensus on a specific clini-cal practice); or,

3) Practice Option: Meaning that theclinical utility of the recommendationis uncertain, for example conflictingevidence or opinion exists in the area.

The AAN Practice Parameters specifi-cally state that children with developmentaldelay and/or autism should receive audio-logic assessment early in the initial screen-ing. The recommendation for audiologicassessment is one of two ‘laboratory stud-ies’ that is specified as critical to diagnosis.The Practice Parameters state that the audi-ologic assessment includes behavioralaudiometric measures, assessment of mid-dle ear function and electrophysiologic pro-cedures performed by an audiologist withexperience in pediatric assessment usingcurrent testing protocols and technologies.Future Research

The Practice Parameters include the fol-lowing research recommendations: “Furtherinsight into the emergence of early auditorybehaviors that are considered atypical andmay be prevalent in children with autism [areneeded]. Studies also are needed on the audi-ologic characteristics of individuals withautism to help assess peripheral hearing sen-sitivity and supra-threshold responses.”

3. CLINICAL PRACTICEGUIDELINES- NEW YORK STATE (1999)

In an effort to ensure optimal interven-tion through the state’s Early Intervention(EI) Program, the New York StateDepartment of Health in 1996 began thedevelopment of a series of evidenced-basedClinical Practice Guidelines for Assessmentand Intervention for young children withvarious developmental disabilities aged 0 to3 years. One of the first developed was theClinical Practice Guideline Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorders.Assessment and Intervention for YoungChildren (Age 0-3 Years). Three products areavailable: Report of the Recommendations,Quick Reference Guide and GuidelineTechnical Report (a complete review of allarticles considered in the development of theGuideline and evidence tables).

The Report of the Recommendations would

be of interest to clinicians working with youngchildren with autism/PDD and the TechnicalReport would be useful to clinical researchers.The Report of the Recommendations provides athorough review of Assessment including earlyidentification, screening tests for autism, assess-ment instruments, components of the develop-mental assessment, and recommended healthevaluations. The assessment of hearing usingobjective test procedures is recommended in thedevelopmental assessment. In the Interventionsection, behavioral and educational approaches,experiential approaches, and medication anddiet therapies are examined and evidence-basedrecommendations on the use of numerous treat-ment approaches currently available to parentsof young children with autism/PDD are provid-ed. One intervention practiced by some audiol-ogists, ‘Auditory Integration Training’ (AIT), isspecifically not recommended as an interven-tion because of the method’s lack of demon-strated efficacy.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TOAUDIOLOGISTS?

The recent review and PracticeParameters of the AAN addressing childrenwith autism are considered important toour profession for several reasons. First,these documents recognize the importantrole of audiologists in the multidisciplinarydifferential diagnosis of children withautism/PDD. Second, the documentsaffirm that audiologists are the profession-als qualified to provide formal, comprehen-sive hearing assessment of individuals sus-pected of having a developmental disor-ders. Third, the documents delineate theimportant role of the audiologic evaluationin the initial stage of the detection andassessment process. Fourth, the documentsrecognize that clinical experience and theavailability of current technology arerequired in the comprehensive audiologicevaluation of children at high risk forautism (or any developmental disorder).

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?Endorsement of the AAN Practice

Parameters suggests that audiologists arelikely to be included on multidisciplinaryteams for the screening and diagnosis ofchildren with autism and/or developmentaldisorders. Therefore, it is important foraudiologists to take a proactive role inensuring that audiologic evaluation is not anafterthought in the workup of children sus-




pected of having a developmental disorder.Inclusion in the AAN’s Practice Parameters affirmsthis critical role for our profession.

As such, audiologists who will be involved inmultidisciplinary teams need to ensure that they arecan provide a comprehensive battery of tests andcan complete assessments of children at risk forautism in a timely manner. Clearly, delays in evalu-ation or repeated audiologic assessments becausepoor test reliability or lack of particular test equip-ment at the initial stages of the assessment processcould impede the movement of the child throughsubsequent stages of the evaluation. This can causeunnecessary stress for families, uncertainty regard-ing the child’s hearing status by other professionalsevaluating the child for autistic spectrum disorderand delay in diagnosis and initiation of early, appro-priate intervention.

The Academy could decide to develop its ownPractice Parameters; an evidence-based guideline forthe audiologic screening, confirmation and manage-ment of children with autism and/or developmentaldisabilities. It is important to remember that PracticeParameters are not intended to be binding, only edu-cational. A practice guideline provides recommenda-tions to the practitioner to assist in decision makingand service provision and to promote knowledge ofthe scientific basis of any clinical practice. A fullyinformed practitioner results in fully informed con-sumers so that families of children with autism canfully participate in decision making regarding theirchild’s audiologic assessment and management.Unarguably, evidenced-based clinical practice para-meters/guidelines will be critical to the reimbursementof audiology services in the 21st century. Evidence-based practice also allows families of children withautism/PDD to fully appreciate the difference betweenthe ‘science’ and the ‘art’ of audiology services.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:The author wishes to thank the Board of Directors of

AAA for her appointment to the multidisciplinary teamdrafting the review article and the Practice Parameters.Sharon Fujikawa is gratefully acknowledged. She shep-herded the Practice Parameters through the AAA Board ofDirectors facilitating the endorsement of that document byour Academy. Thanks also to Jackson Roush who reviewedthe audiology sections of the 1999 Journal of Autism andDevelopmental Disorders prior to its publication and pro-vided useful comments to this author and to Dr. PaulineFilipek who reviewed this current submission.

Supported (JSG) in part by HD36080 (“AuditoryProcessing in Autism”, M. Dunn, PI) from NIH-NICHDand DC00223 (“Early Auditory Experiences and LaterAuditory Outcome”; J. Gravel, PI; project within theClinical Research Center for Communicative Disorders,R. Ruben, PI) from NIH-NIDCD.

REFERENCES:Filipek PA et al. The screening and diagno-

sis of autistic spectrum disorders.Journal of Autism and DevelopmentalDisorders. 1999; 29(6): 439-484.

Practice Parameter: Screening and Diagnosisof Autism (an evidence-based review)Report of the Quality Standards Subcom-mittee of the American Academy ofNeurology. Neurology, September 2000.

Clinical Practice Guideline. Report of theRecommendations. Quick ReferenceGuide. The Guideline Technical Report.Autism/Pervasive DevelopmentalDisorders, Assessment and Interventionfor Young Children (age 0-3 years). NewYork State Department of Health EarlyIntervention Program, 1999. PublicationNo. 4215. www. health.state.ny.us/nys-doh/eip/ index.htm (518)-439-7286.



A


s you know, choosing hearing aids can be a

confusing and often stressful experience for

those dealing with hearing loss for the first

time. Many of our members have asked,

“Why doesn’t the Academy produce an easy

to read, fact filled brochure that I can give to

my patients?” We’ve heard your requests and

are pleased to introduce “Selecting

Hearing Aids That Are Right For You”

Selecting Hearing AidsThat are Right For YouA Valuable Tool For Your Practice

— the newest addition to our collection of excep-

tional marketing and educational publications.

Over the past year, Michael Valente, of Washington

University in St. Louis, headed up the Task Force on

Hearing Aid Information for Consumers to develop

this comprehensive, full-color brochure. The

brochure offers a step by step guide to purchasing

hearing aids and covers a broad range of hearing aid

topics including styles, technology and why con-

sumers should consult an audiologist. We’ve also

included The American Academy of Audiology’s

Pre-Purchase Assessment Guideline for

Amplification Devices and ample space for you to

stamp your practice’s name and contact information

on the back.

Enjoy the attached or our new consumers hearing

aid brochure with our compliments. “Selecting

Hearing Aids That Are Right For You” is

available in packages of 100 at $40 for members

($50 per 100 for non-members). To order, visit the

Academy Store at www.audiology.org to download a

Publications Order Form or contact The National

Office at 800-AAA-2336, Ext 204.


Convention 2001 UpdateThe Three “Rs”: Attend a Pre-Convention Workshop to...Re-tool, Renew, Refresh your skills!Lisa Hunter, Education Chair

WHAT COMES NEXT? A PRACTICAL WORKSHOP FORDIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTIONAFTER NEWBORN HEARINGSCREENINGTuesday and Wednesday,

April 17-18, 9am - 5pm both daysSpeakers: Sandra Abbott Gabbard,

University of Colorado Health Sciences;Caroline Abdala, House Ear Institute; ArthurBoothroyd, Professor Emeritus, CityUniversity of New York and Scholar inResidence, San Diego State University; JanetDes Georges; Marion Downs, NationalCenter; Karen Johnson, House Ear Institute;Robert Nozza, Temple University; YvonneSininger, House Ear Institute; Judith Widen,University of Kansas Medical Center

Workshop Coordinator and Moderator:Lisa Hunter, University of Minnesota

As Universal Newborn Hearing screeningprograms are becoming a reality in manystates, audiologists are realizing a need to re-tool and update their practice skills in thisimportant area. Never before have we beenfaced with the prospect of diagnosing so manyvery young infants with hearing loss and thegolden opportunity to provide intervention soearly. With this opportunity comes the needfor advanced education and training to servethis unique population. This intensive work-shop will provide two full days of educationand hands on practice in approaches to physi-ologic and behavioral assessment, amplifica-tion and family centered counseling through-out the process. Each morning will consist ofdidactic presentations from leaders in the

assessment and management of congenitalhearing loss. Each afternoon will be filledwith a unique round robin format of work-shops presented by manufacturers coupledwith expert clinicians. Attendees will be pro-vided with extensive course materials. Thiscourse is intended for a range of attendeesincluding beginners and novices. The work-shops allow for personal attention to questionsand ideas for implementing or advancing ser-vices in infant assessment and habilitation.This two-day workshop will include breakfast,lunch and refreshment breaks to allow formaximal educational time. Single day regis-tration is available. The Tuesday session willfocus on diagnostic methods and theWednesday session will focus on amplifica-tion and follow up. Preregistration is stronglyencouraged, as space for the hands on work-shops is limited.

NEW ADVANCES IN THE DIAGNOSISAND TREATMENT OF DIZZINESSWednesday, April 18, 2000, 9am - 5pm

Speakers: Richard E. Gans, The AmericanInstitute of Balance and Dennis P. O’Leary,University of Southern California Workshop

Workshop Moderator: Barbara Packer,Nova Southeastern University

Audiologists have a growing opportunityto play an increasingly important role investibular diagnosis and treatment. This one-day preconvention workshop will provideattendees with the latest information on practi-cal diagnostic testing and treatment applica-tions, the most recent research and a previewof future trends in the vestibular sciences.

Diagnostic techniques, evaluating all variantsof BPPV, noncompensated high frequencyvestibular dysfunction and gaze stabilizationproblems will be presented. The program willalso utilize some of the most recent advancesin Video-oculographic recordings to assistclinicians in differential diagnosis of peripher-al and central vestibular abnormalities. Break-through technology and future technologicaladvances in telemetry will provide the audi-ence with insight into an emerging method ofevaluating vestibular and balance function inpatients while they move and ambulatethrough their normal and everyday activities.Future testing technology which allows evalu-ation of a patient’s orientation in space willprovide new testing capabilities during thepatient’s activities at home, work or in athleticcompetition.

OUR AGING POPULATION: CURRENT RESEARCH AND CLINICALIMPLICATIONSWednesday, April 18, 1-5 pm

Speakers: James F. Willott, University ofSouth Florida; Terry L. Wiley, University ofWisconsin-Madison; Karen J. Cruickshanks,University of Wisconsin-Madison; BarbaraWeinstein, Lehman College, CUNY, GraduateSchool and University Center

Workshop Moderator: Al DeChicchis,University of Georgia

The number of individuals who are nowliving into their 70s or even 80s is increasingat a rather rapid rate. As the elderly populationcontinues to grow nationally, the overalleffects associated with the aging process haveimportant implications for audiologists. Thisworkshop brings together a group of wellknown investigators who will address auditoryissues in aging from both a basic and anapplied dimension and present findings fromepidemiologic studies on age-related hearingloss. Current animal research models will behighlighted as well as discussion of clinicalapplications related to the aging process. Casepresentations and data from the NationalCouncil on Aging Study on hearing aid use inolder adults will be used to highlight impor-tant clinical issues.

Be sure to save time in your convention planning to select one of three excit-

ing intensive Pre-Convention Workshops at the 13th Annual Convention and

Exposition in San Diego. These workshops offer something for everyone, and

promise to provide brand new information from leaders in each of three areas:

Infant Diagnosis and Amplification, Vestibular Evaluation, and the Aging

Auditory System. The Education Committee, including Al DeChicchis, Patricia

Gillilan, Wendy Hanks, Patti Martin, Kirsten McDaniel, Frank Musiek, Barbara

Packer, Jill Preminger, Marcia Raggio, and Vishakha Rawool has been hard at

work designing these courses:


DIAGNOSTICSAuditory Microbiology: Pathogenesisand Treatment IdentificationChuck Edmiston, Gene W. Bratt

This presentation will initially discusspathogenesis and toxicity of bacterial andviral infections in general; and then, focusattention on those infections common inotitis media and externa. The discussionwill identify those antibiotic drug regimenseffective in managing infection, the resis-tance among organisms once thought to besensitive to standard drug intervention andthe re-emergence of ear disease as a mani-festation of drug resistance. Guidance willbe provided in the management of nosoco-mial infections and drug resistance.

Additional Diagnostic Sessions:• Diagnostic Competency:

The Bar is Being Raised

• Adult Diagnostic Audiology: Grand Rounds

• Developmental Effects of OtitisMedia

• Pediatric Grand Rounds

• What is an Audiologist Doing inthe Operating Room?

PRACTICE MANAGEMENTThe Role of the Internet in DispensingRobert D. Wolfe

Fast paced changes in internet deliveryof hearing aids requires all audiologists toexamine the obvious pitfalls as well as thepotential for the ever increasing market.Current practices, including manufacturersites and strategies, will be discussed.Finally, the use of a website to support anaudiology practice, including passive edu-cational and marketing services to patients,will be explored.

Additional Practice ManagementSessions:• The Best People for the Front

Desk and Making Your PracticeCustomer Friendly

• Using Technicians: PrivatePractice and Military Perspectives

AMPLIFICATIONDisposable, Starter, and InstantFitting Hearing Aids Robert W. Sweetow

The era of disposable and starter hear-ing aids has arrived. Will this concept havean everlasting and dramatic effect on ourprofession or merely be a flash in the pan?In this session, the availability and need fordisposable and starter hearing aids isexplored. The impact on the consumer andprofessional in terms of finances, methodsof instant dispensing, quality of patientcare and influence on the overall scope ofaural rehabilitation is detailed.

Additional Amplification Sessions:• From Lab to Clinic: Modifying or

Mindsets

• Current Trends in Middle EarImplants

• Directional Microphones and orNoise Reduction

• Digital Signal Processing HearingAids: A Report Card

• Pediatric Fitting: The AidedAudiogram and (hopefully) Beyond

REHABILITATION/COCHLEAR IMPLANTSThe Multichannel Auditory BrainstemImplantRobert Shannon, Steven Otto

The FDA recently approved the multi-channel auditory brainstem implant (ABI)for use in patients with no remaining audi-tory nerve, a condition primarily caused bybilateral vestibular schwannomas (neurofi-bromatosis type 2). The ABI electricallystimulates the human cochlear nucleus toproduce auditory sensations. This sessionwill review the history of the ABI, patientselection, intraoperative monitoring, anato-my of the human brainstem, speech proces-sor programming issues, management ofnonauditory side effects, speech recognitionresults and future improvements.

Additional Rehabilitation/Cochlear Implant Sessions:• Hearing Aid Orientation: Practical

Methods of Implementing

• Challenging Cases in CAPDManagement

• Current and Future Challengesfor Implant Selection Criteria

HEARING SCIENCEAdvances in the Genetics ofDeafness – Connexin 26 Richard SmithMost families with a congenitally deaf

Featured Sessions At The 13thAnnual Academy Convention

One of the biggest challenges for attendees at the AmericanAcademy of Audiology 13th Annual Convention will be choosingbetween the more than 35 Featured Sessions. These educationalpresentations will highlight “cutting edge” information delivered by some ofthe foremost authorities in audiology.

For ease in planning a convention schedule, the Featured Sessions followthe same categorical plan that they have in previous years including presen-tations on diagnostics, practice management, amplification, rehabilitation/-cochlear implants, hearing science, vestibular assessment and management,professional issues and hearing conservation. These key sessions are held at“prime times” each day of the convention and include topics that accentuateevery aspect of audiology. Glimpses of selected Featured Sessions includinga comprehensive list of topics are listed below.

Convention 2001 Update


child have no history of hearing loss and adefinitive etiology is rarely established. Wenow know that mutations in one gene,GJB2 (codes Connexin 26), are responsiblefor half of the cases of severe to profoundautosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearingloss. Data on carrier rate and prognosiswill be discussed as they relate to familycounseling, diagnosis and management ofthe congenitally deaf child.

Additional Hearing ScienceSessions:• Rescue, Repair and Regeneration

of Sensory Hair Cells

• Effects of Conductive HearingLoss on Auditory Development

• Fast Talking and Slow Listening:Recent Findings on Aging

• New DOAE Findings in Infants andAdults: Clinical Implications

VESTIBULAR ASSESSMENTAND MANAGEMENTThe Inner Ear and SpaceExploration—An Otic Odyssey 2001F. Owen Black

Short space flight effects on the innerear and brain function are transient andresult from near absence of gravity actingupon the otolith receptors. Long durationflights present serious vestibular and audi-tory problems. Present knowledge and cur-rent plans for amelioration of the untowardeffects of microgravity on the auditory andvestibular systems will be summarized.Importance of space study results forpatients will be summarized.

Additional VestibularAssessment and ManagementSessions:• Pediatric Fitting: The Aided

Audiogram and Beyond

• Evaluation and Management ofBalance Disorders

PROFESSIONAL ISSUESClinic to Classroom – Supporting

Children with Auditory DeficitsBarbara R. Murphy, Cheryl DeCondeJohnson, Gail Gegg Rosenberg, KrisEnglish, Joseph Smaldino

Management of children with auditorydeficits in the educational setting will beaddressed. The following topics will beconsidered: relevant educational audiolog-ical assessment, functional listening eval-uation, identification of educational con-cerns and needs, classroom acoustics,implementation and use of amplificationin the classroom setting, management ofchildren with central auditory processingdisorders and counseling of children andfamilies. The importance of a strong liai-son between the clinical and educationalaudiologist will be stressed.

Additional Professional IssuesSessions:• Classroom Acoustics: Standards

and Technical Update• Selecting an AuD Program• Member Concerns• Taking Audiology Services to a

Third World Country• Professional Liability Concerns

for the Audiology Professional• Using Our Knowledge of Social

Styles to Better Counsel Patients

HEARING CONSERVATIONThe Molecular Revolution andPreventing Hair Cell Death Richard Dana Kopke, Donald Henderson,Richard Salvi

The molecular biology revolution isimpacting the fields of otology and audiol-ogy. New information is accumulatingregarding the genetic response of the innerear to noise and toxins. Oxidative stressplays a major role in the loss of hair cells.Several pathways of programmed celldeath operating in the injured inner earhave been identified. In this seminar wewill review the latest information regardingthe inner ear’s genetic response to stress,molecular mechanisms of oxidative injuryand recent information describing celldeath pathways activated in the injuredinner ear. This will be followed by basicscience and clinical examples of pharma-cological protection from noise trauma andototoxins. The session will also explorestrategies to rescue the inner ear hair cellsand neurons from cell death and excitingpossibilities in the realm of mammalianinner ear hair cell regeneration

Additional Hearing ConservationSessions:• Starting an Industrial Hearing

Conservation Division

Convention 2001 UpdateFeatured Sessions continued

NO CHARGE FOR INSTRUCTIONAL COURSES!Instructional Courses will once again be a highlight of Convention 2001 in San Diego. The American

Academy of Audiology 13th Annual Convention will feature over 100 different instructional courses. In thepast, registrants were charged $10.00 for each instructional course that they attended. This year, conven-tion registration fees will include attendance at an unlimited number of courses.

The Instructional Course Subcommittee carefully reviewed the hundreds of submitted proposals in aneffort to include only those of the highest educational content and quality. A variety of learning experienceswill focus on the areas of amplification, diagnostics, hearing conservation, hearing science, practice man-agement, professional issues, rehabilitation/ cochlear implants and vestibular assessment and management.

All of the instructional courses will be equipped with LCD projectors in addition to the standard audio-visual equipment. Also, for the first time the Academy will work with presenters to provide comprehensivehandouts on each presentation for all attendees. The Subcommittee made every effort to prevent com-mercialism in these educational presentations.

The Convention 2001 Preliminary Program and Registration Book, which will be mailed in January, willinclude descriptions of the 100 instructional courses as well as other sessions. The plethora of educationalcourses is an excellent way to customize your convention experience!

NEW THIS YEAR!


Convention 2001 Update

The world of audiology is headed for SanDiego from April 18-22, 2001 for theAmerican Academy of Audiology 13th AnnualConvention. Each year the convention getsbigger and better offering innumerable educa-tional adventures, boundless exhibit space,cutting-edge products and equipment, never-ending social events and countless network-ing opportunities.

As the educational opportunities increaseand social events grow in popularity, sparetime at the convention becomes a valuablecommodity. Already overworked hearinghealthcareprofession-als arrivewith jam-packedschedulesthat havelimitedflexibilityand littlehope for free time. Attendees search for a fewfree moments to enjoy one of the most beauti-ful cities in the world. Suppose you decide tosteal some time for yourself, how will youspend it? Here’s a few tips:

Since the Convention Center is just a shortwalk from any of the hotels, take an extrahour, dial room service and enjoy eggs bene-dict on the balcony or hotel patio. Whetheryour hotel features the city’s sun-sparked sky-line or a sail-festooned harbor, the near per-fect climate will enhance a few stolenmoments in the morning before dashing offto your first session of the day.

If you are lucky enough to be faced with afree afternoon, consider reveling in the 70miles of palm-crested shores that backdropthe boardwalks just outside the ConventionCenter. The sprawling beach and expansivepromenade afford views of the sparkling bay

that extends along thewaterfront from theConvention Center to theMaritime Museum. Whocould resist the casualbeachfront avenues thatare ripe for blading, biking,basking or jogging?

Adventure seekers withextra time to spare canwalk or take the red trolleyto Seaport Village, also

near the convention hotels. This delightfulpark, where the air is filled with subtle, savoryaromas of local cuisine, abounds with life.The meandering pathways feature whimsicalshops and tree-shaded picnic areas withunforgettable views of the city and its mar-itime life. As you stroll farther you willnotice one of the highlights of the village,the Broadway Flying Horses Carousel. Thismerry-go-round was originally installed atConey Island in 1890. Seaport Village pur-chased it in the 1970s and spent more than

two years restoring it to its originalsplendor.

Nearby Horton Plaza offers acolorful conglomeration of shops,eateries and architecture. Covering7 1/2 city blocks, the Disneyland ofshopping malls is in the heart of SanDiego and just a short walk from theConvention Center. It is also a won-derful place to break for lunch. TheFish Market’s green-lipped mussels,

crab louie and sushi bar will wow theseafood aficionado. Dedicated shopperscan skip lunch to indulge in the acclaimedNordstrom shoe salon.

Lucky enough to have a free day? Hurdleover the Coronado Bridge north on I-5 andfind yourself in the international resort com-munity of LaJolla. Thoughsmall enoughto walk, itsdelightful vil-lage area isalways full ofsurprises.Wander upthe cobble-stones whereart and

designer duds go hand in hand. Just aroundthe corner are some of the finest bookstoresin the world and only steps away are theVenturi-designed Museum of ContemporaryArt, antiquariums and picture-postcard galleries.

Underwater, the La Jolla Cove is a marine-life preserve favored by divers while the pro-tected inlet and its mostly calm surface makeit a swimmer’s paradise. Along the coastsurfers ride the waves, beaches fill with sunworshippers and families explore the tidepools and caves that honeycomb La Jolla’sprecipitous cliffs. Here you can party on agrassy ledge above the pounding surf, havebrunch at charming Brockton Villa overlook-ing the Pacific, check out the ScrippsInstitution of Oceanography, play the

renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course and hikethe magnificent wilderness of the TorreyPines State Reserve.

Before you depart San Diego take sometime to explore the rich and varied nightlifethe city has to offer. For down-home blues,raggae and rock, you will not dare missSolana Beach’s cavernous Belly Up Tavernwhere Big Mama Thornton, Etta James,Jimmy Cliff and Leon Redbone have gigged.As you head back to your hotel, stop at theTop of the Hyatt on the 40th floor of the bay-

side Hyatt Regency for aflute of champagne.Dotting the posh entry aresimple black and white pho-tos of turn-of-the-centurySan Diego. Salute the nightwith a stroll on the beachwhere you can draw a heart in the sand — a fitting adieu to another fabulous Academy conven-tion experience!

Making the Most of a Few “Spare”Moments at Convention 2001Gyl kasewurm, Publicity Chair, AAA Convention Committee


Student Members! AttendConvention 2001 free by volun-teering a half day of your timeduring the convention. As a vol-unteer you will be asked tospend a half-day monitoring oneof the many educational pro-grams available at the Conven-tion. As our “thank you,” youwill receive a free registration tothe Convention. Applications for

student volunteers can be obtained by contacting EdSullivan at 800-222-2336 ext.205 or by writing to him [email protected].

Apply now! Only a limitednumber of volunteers are need-ed; therefore, not all applicationsmay be accepted. To become astudent volunteer you must be astudent member of the Academy.

Student Membership is open toall students who are enrolledfull-time in an audiology curricu-lum and is available for $100 peryear. Those who are accepted asstudent volunteers will berequired to arrive in San Diegoearly enough to attend a Regis-tration and Orientation at 5:00pmon Wednesday, April 18th.

Join the fun! Sail into the

Future and kick off Convention 2001 at the Student WelcomeReception following the StudentVolunteer Orientation, open toall students and recent gradu-ates. Enjoy complimentaryrefreshments while hearing ashort presentation on the high-lights of the Convention. Don’tmiss this great opportunity tosupport the Academy.

Convention 2001 UpdateSTUDENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!


Participation in the first international meeting on Newborn HearingSystems exceeded all expectations. More than 450 audiologists,physicians, parents, research scientists, deaf and hard-of-hearing

consumers and early interventionists from 60 countries attended NHS2000 held in Milan, Italy, October 12 -14, 2000. This two and one-halfday conference provided state-of-the-art scientific and clinical informa-tion on systems of newborn hearing care, including universal newbornhearing screening, audiologic and otologic evaluation and diagnosis andaudiologic, medical and speech-language intervention for deaf and hard-of-hearing infants. American Academy of Audiology members providingkeynote addresses at this prestigious conference included Marion Downs(historical perspective on early identification), Christine Yoshinaga-Itano(effect of early identification and intervention on child development), PatStelmachowicz (amplification for infants), and Karen Jo Doyle (otolog-ic evaluation of infants). Additional American keynote speakers includ-ed Roz Rosen (perspective of the deaf community) and Betty Vohr (new-born hearing screening and public health). Keynote addresses will appearin Seminars in Hearing 21:4 (December 2000). In addition to keynoteaddresses, participants demonstrated the strong international interest inearly identification and intervention through more than 140 contributedoral and poster presentations. At the conclusion of NHS 2000, confer-ence coorganizers Ferdinando Grandori (Italy) and Deborah Hayes(United States) announced plans to convene NHS 2002 in Northern Italyin late spring 2002.

Newborn Hearing Systems 2000…MILAN, ITALY

Marion Downs receives a European-stylereception at the NHS 2000 Gala Dinner.

Audiologist and AAA FellowBrandt Culpepper ofGallaudet Universitydescribes the current status ofuniversal newborn hearingscreening in the U.S. to theinternational audience atNHS 2000.

NHS 2000 Chairman Ferdinando Grandoriwelcomes NHS 2000 participants to Villa Erba, an18th Century Italian lake villa, for the Gala Dinner.

Academy member ChristieYoshinaga-Itano from theUniversity of Colorado,presents a keynote addresson developmental out-comes of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

SUN FUN STAY PLAY

13th AnnualConventionAmerican Academy of Audiology


Technology Cruise 2001 – Rhapsody of the SeasJanuary 7-13, Jan. 28 – Feb. 3, February 4-10 – Mexico

Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Contact: Laura Jewell 800-328-8602

Winter Audiology and Hearing Aid ConferenceJanuary 12-13 – Tulsa, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Hearing Aid Assn., Contact: Bruce Mow 918-836-0777

A Practical Short Course in Auditory Evoked Potentials andOtoacoustic Emissions January 17-20 - New Orleans, LA

LSUMC/Kresge Hearing Research Lab., Contact: Sharon Loeb 504-568-4785

Earmold Impression Techniques-Solutions in SiliconeJanuary 17 – Portland, OR

Sonus, Contact: Michele Fusco 888-333-9152 x 244

Practice ManagementJanuary 18 – Portland, OR

Sonus, Contact: Michele Fusco 888-333-9152 x244

Beyond Technology: The Human ConnectionJanuary 19 – Portland, OR


The Sonus Solution…Beyond Hearing Aids: A Sonus AR ProgramJanuary 20 – Portland, OR


The Key to Successful Hearing Aid Fittings: Patient-Centered ApproachJanuary 22 – Portland, OR


Vestibular Assessment & ManagementJanuary 22-26 – Clearwater/St. Petersburg, FL

American Institute of Balance, Contact: Richard Gans 800-245-6442

Assessment of Modern Hearing Aids Using Probe MicrophoneMeasurementJanuary 24 – Portland, OR


CIC Fittings & ModificationsJanuary 25 – Portland, OR


Hearing Aid Trouble Shooting & ModificationsJanuary 25 – Portland, OR


Cerumen ManagementJanuary 26 – Portland, OR


Infection ControlJanuary 26 – Portland, OR


Managing the Tinnitus PatientJanuary 27 – Portland, OR


Technology for the New MillenniumJanuary 27 – Newport Beach, CA

Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Contact: Lindsay Olson 800-328-8602

AHAA’s 2001 ConventionJanuary 29-30 – Las Vegas, NV

American Hearing Aid Assoc., Contact: Sharon Grant 800-984-3272 x 317

Case Study CEU ProgramAmerican Institute of Balance, Contact: Richard Gans 800-245-6442

Advanced Technical Seminar – 2001February 2 & 3 – Orlando, FL • March 24 – Richmond, VA

Audina Hearing Instruments, Contact: Billie Howell 800-223-7700

MN Academy of Audiology Annual Winter Meeting February 2 & 3 - Minnetonka, MN

Minnesota Academy of Audiology, Contact: Ann Allen 952-885-0095

Platinum Series Workshop February 7-9 - Nashville, TN

Advanced Bionics Corp., Contact: Patti Trautwein 818-678-2575

ENG WorkshopFebruary 8-9 – Clearwater/St. Petersburg, FL


Controversial Issues in Pediatric AudiologyFebruary 8-9 – New York, NY

Beth Israel Medical Center, Contact: Jane Madell 212-844-8792

Vestibular Rehabilitation WorkshopFebruary 21-23 – Clearwater/St. Petersburg, FL


26th Annual Hearing Conservation ConferenceFebruary 22-24 – Raleigh-Durham, NC

Nat’l. Hearing Conservation Assn., Contact: Karen Wojdyla 303-224-9022

Otoacoustic Emission WorkshopFebruary 23-24 –Vancouver, BC – Canada

Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Contact: Mel Gross 800-328-8602

Cochlear Implants in ChildrenFebruary 28-March 3 – Los Angeles, CA

House Ear Institute, Contact: Margaret Winter 213-353-7005

AAS Scientific and Technical MeetingMarch 15-17 – Scottsdale, AZ

American Auditory Society, Contact: Wayne Staab 602-789-0755

New Developments in the Practice of Modern Clinical AudiologyMarch 29-31 - New Orleans, LA

LSUMC/Kresge Hearing Research Lab., Contact: Sharon Loeb 504-568-4785

22nd Annual NeuroAudiology Seminar in Savannah Topic:Advanced ABR ApplicationsApril 27-28 – Savannah, GA

St. Joseph’s-Candler Health Sys., Contact: Barbara Gatens 912-927-5479

Seminars in Hearing Self StudySeminars in Hearing, Contact: Nan Ratner 301-405-4217

Earn CEUs from Chats/Articles at Audiologyonline.com, Contact: Joanne Slater 314-577-6110

American Academy of AudiologyAnnual Conventions & Expositions

13th Annual Convention & Exposition, April 19-21, 2001San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, Gail Gudmundsen, Chair14th Annual Convention & Exposition, April 18-21, 2002Philadelphia Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA, Barbara Packer, Chair15th Annual Convention & Exposition, April 3-6San Antonio Convention Center, San Antonio, TX16th Annual Convention & Exposition, April 15-18, 2004Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA17th Annual Convention & Exposition, April 7-10, 2005Washington, DC Convention Center, Washington, DC

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGYCONTINUING EDUCATION CALENDAR


WASHINGTON WATCH

If the election of 2000 is any indication, we are in for a mostunusual 107th Congress. (The 107th Congress will be sworn in onJanuary 3, 2001 for the years 2001 and 2002.)

At the moment, it looks as though:

• Senior political appointees for the new Administration will notbe in place until mid to late 2001; and

• Power in Congress is so evenly balanced between theRepublicans and the Democrats that they will either worktogether or accomplish nothing at all.

From a parochial perspective the Congressional elections weregood for the Academy. Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) easilywon reelection. Our friends in the Senate, particularly Senator TomDaschle (D-SD) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), will be evenmore powerful as Democrats and Republicans will share powerequally.

Our goal in 2001 will be to work with the new Administrationand the new Congress to move the Academy agenda forward. TheAcademy’s Board of Directors has established the following priori-ties for the 107th Congress:

• Provide direct access to audiologists for diagnostic tests underthe Medicare program. While the Academy has met twice withsenior HCFA officials on this issue, we still have not receivedan answer to our request that HCFA eliminate the physicianreferral requirement for audiology diagnostic tests covered byMedicare. The Academy will raise this issue again with the newHCFA leadership once it is installed. However, it is likely thatthe Academy will need to join forces with consumer, senior citi-zen, and disability groups, as well as with other professionalassociations, to achieve this goal.

• Resolve the problem of Medicare carriers denying reimburse-ment for diagnostic tests where no medically treatable conditionis discovered. HCFA has already promised to add a provision tothe Medicare Carriers Manual clarifying that hearing tests need-ed for a medical evaluation of hearing loss or injury are reim-bursable even if no medically treatable condition is discovered.While HCFA has been dragging its feet, we still hope HCFAwill accomplish this before the end of this administration.

• Eliminate the physician supervision requirement for vestibulartesting. HCFA has also promised to change its policy of requiringphysician supervision of audiologists performing vestibular func-tion tests. The Academy will follow up with HCFA and expects

that HCFA will issue a ProgramMemorandum on this issue in2001.

• Improve Medicare reimbursementby increasing practice expense rel-ative value units (RVUs) for audi-ology procedures. According toHCFA, the practice expense RVUsfor audiology procedures currentlyare based on practice expense datafor other specialities that performaudiology procedures. If the Academy collects its own surveydata on audiologists’ practice expenses, HCFA is required to con-sider that data in refining the RVUs for audiology procedures.The Academy may therefore wish to hire a contractor to collectsurvey data on audiologists practice expenses for submission to HCFA.

• The FDA hearing aid regulation: There is some indication thatFDA’s hearing aid proposed rule, which has been pending forseveral years, may be released for public comment in 2001.(However, given the arrival of a new Administration additionaldelay is possible). Once a proposed rule is issued, theAcademy will actively participate in the rulemaking throughsubmission of comments. The Academy will emphasize thatthe interests of the hearing disabled will be best protected byrequiring a comprehensive pre-purchase audiological assess-ment by a qualified audiologist.

• Medicaid/HCFA: Currently has two different definitions of who isa qualified audiologist, one for the Medicare program and one forthe Medicaid program. The House of Representatives has urgedHCFA to reconcile its two different definitions. We will workwith the new Administration to this end.

• Standard Occupational Classifications: Throughout 2001 andbeyond, the Academy should continue to urge its members tocontact the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regardingthe inaccuracy of classifying audiologists as therapists.

Beyond these specific issues our goal will be to develop addition-al Congressional relationships, build our PAC, and work more close-ly with audiology consumers. Further, with the new Administrationcomes an opportunity to develop relationships at the ground floor.We should participate fully.

Submitted by Marshall L. Matz, Esq., Pamela Furman, Esq., and Bob Hahn, Esq., Olsson, Frank and Weeda, P.C., Washington, DC and Craig Johnson, AAA Governmental Affairs Chair, Baltimore, MD

Marshall Matz

A LOOK AT THE 107TH CONGRESSMarshall L. Matz


� A Long Range Plan was completed with input from a rep-resentative group of Academy members diversified bylocus of practice, teaching and research. The groupincluded practitioners, hospital clinicians, educationalaudiologists, professors, researchers and hearing aidindustry audiologists.

� A plan to facilitate appropriate changes in HCFA reimbursementpolicies for audiology services was developed and implemented.These efforts were the culmination of the Academy’s Government AffairsCommittee, the Committee on Reimbursement and our lobbyists in collaborationwith the leadership and lobbyist team of the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists:

• HCFA has agreed to allow vestibular testing without a physician’s supervision.• HCFA has indicated that sensorineural hearing loss will now be reimbursed

without the need to establish it as a medically treatable condition. The revisedMedicare Carrier’s Manual indicates that diagnostic tests will be coveredeven where no medically treatable condition is discovered, as in sen-sorineural hearing loss. It will result in acceptance of the diagnosis of sen-sorineural hearing loss when submitted by claim.

• HCFA has agreed to consider reimbursement for audiologists for aural reha-bilitation, vestibular rehabilitation and cochlear implant services.

Additional meetings are scheduled with HCFA to maintain ongoing dialogueregarding audiology services.

� Effective January 1, 2001, Federal employees covered by the FEHBP Blue Cross& Blue Shield plan, approximately 70% of all Federal employees may go directlyto a participating audiologist for hearing care. This major advancement for thosein need of our services is the culmination of efforts begun in 1996 by theGovernment Affairs Committee of the Academy.

� Ongoing discussions were held at the Department of Labor regarding the place-ment of audiology in the appropriate standard occupational classification code(SOC Code). Audiology was removed from the Speech Pathologist/Audiologistclassification to our own distinct category. Unfortunately we remain in the“Therapist” Class of providers and efforts continue in order to change that loca-tion to the 29-1000 Health Diagnosing and Treatment Practitioners.

� The President’s Initiative on Science was established in Audiology to enhancescience in audiology and to evaluate the status and retention of PhDs in ourdiscipline.

� A Position Statement on Pre-Purchase Assessment Guideline for AmplificationDevices was adopted. The Position Statement was sent to every state licensingor registration board or attorney general and was sent to identified state leadersthroughout the country. See the Position Statement on the Academy web sitewww.audiology.org for the complete text.

� A Position Statement on the Role of the Audiologist in Newborn HearingScreening Programs was adopted. This Position Statement was sent to everystate licensing or registration board or Attorney General and also was sent to toappropriate state leaders and can be viewed on our web site www.audiology.orgfor complete text.

� The Task Force on Hearing Aids was completed. A consumer brochure on hearingaids is enclosed in this issue of AT.

� The Task Force on Tinnitus produced a brochure and a position statement on tin-nitus assessment and treatment.

� A Task Force on Supervision in Audiology has been established.

� The Task Force on Hearing Screening in Adults and Children has been estab-lished and is in formative progress.

� The Task Force on Academy Communications was formed and is in the process of evaluating all Academy methods of communicating with

members and the general public.

� The Task Force on Hearing Conservation was formed. APosition Statement on Hearing Conservation is in Draft formand a consumer safety brochure is planned.

� Two new standing Committees were established: theCommittee on Linguistic and Cultural Diversity and the

International Committee .

� An archival process for all Academy Documents was developed.

� Regional educational conferences were established. Dates, topics, marketing andlocations will be developed through the Education Committee.

� A handbook reviewing job interviewing skills and resume preparation developedby Don Vogel and the Membership Committee was printed and distributed.

� The Academy Website at www.audiology.org was expanded to include specialfeatures such as “Find An Audiologist”, “Ask An Audiologist”,and an interactivepassword protected online membership directory.

� The “Audiology Clinical Practice Algorithms and Statements” was adopted andprinted in the Special Issue of Audiology Today, August 2000. This collaborativeeffort of the American Academy of Audiology, ASHA and the Department ofVeteran’s Affairs, focussed on a common policy for the entire profession thatwould benefit recipients of hearing health care.

� The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Year 2000 Position Statement was adopt-ed and printed in the Special Issue of Audiology Today, August 2000.

� The Members Concerns Program was established including over 300 contactsbetween members of the Board of Directors and the general membership. Eachmeeting of the Board was opened with a roundtable discussion with topics andinformation provided by the membership through these meetings. The programwill continue as it helps the Board understand the needs and position of themembers of the Academy. It provides members with a direct and open accessto the Board.

� All government and political affairs of the Academy were placed under theGovernmental Affairs Committee Chair including coordination with other mem-ber organizations and political or federal agencies.

� The Academy position on hearing instrument dispensing practices with theDepartment of Health and Human Services (HHS) was established. HHS hasreceived and is reviewing the FDA’s recommendations for hearing instrument dis-pensing. A combined position statement was issued to Secretary Donna Shalalaon behalf of the American Academy of Audiology and the the Academy ofDispensing Audiologists. The Academy has requested a meeting with theSecretary to further clarify our position.

� The findings and report of the Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis ofAuditory Processing Disorders in School-Age Children was endorsed.

� A Physician Referral Kit has been developed and is currently being tested by theMarketing Committee.

� An affiliation agreement with the National Association of Future Doctors ofAudiology (NAFDA) was signed.

� The Acting Executive Director hired several new staff members including a fulltime Public Information Specialist.

� An audiology training program at Academy Headquarters for all staff memberswas established.

� The Board established the President’s Panel on Governance by assembling apanel of Past Presidents to review the structure of governance of the Academy.As a result of their report, the Board has hired a consultant to evaluate the via-bility of the Academy’s current governance structure.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2000Actions of the Board of Directors on Behalf of the American Academy of Audiology


ARIZONA

AUDIOLOGIST:Busy ENT practice in Phoenix, AZ

is seeking FT/PT audiologist.Duties include basic diagnostictesting, ABR, ENG, ECOG and HA dis-pensing. CCC-A or CF-A (sup avail)will be considered. Salary, commis-sion and benefits available.Contact: Mary (623) 848-8890; Fax:(623) 848-7848.

CALIFORNIA

IMMEDIATE POSITIONAVAILABLE:

Dispensing audiologist in the SanDiego area. Full or part time. Estab-lished business with a strong doctorreferral base. Excellent people andtechnical skills are a requirement.Ability to program advanced hearingaids. Some experience in ENG andbrainstem procedures. Will consider astrong CFY person. Someone who is aquick learner. Competitive salary withbonuses. Training provided for ENG andbrainstem. Fax resume and salaryrequirements to: Coburn Hearing Assoc.(619) 589-7391 or call (619) 589-5414,e-mail to [email protected].

FLORIDA

HELP WANTED:Part time dispensing audiologist or

hearing aid specialist wanted forAudiologist owned primarily hearing aidoffice in Deerfield Beach, FL. Knowledgeof latest hearing aid technology andability to sell a must. Could lead topartnership. Call (954) 570-9631 or Fax(954) 429-3403.

CLINICAL AUDIOLOGIST:Full range of clinical responsibilities

at a prestigious major medical clinic.Duties could include some or all of thefollowing: audiological evaluations,hearing aid dispensing, vestibularassessment, ABRs, OAEs, cochlearimplants. Possibility for mainly hear-ing aid dispensing if desired. Primarilyadult population. Master’s degree inaudiology or AuD required, several yearsof experience preferred, would consider

CFY. Competitive salary, excellent fringebenefits, located on the beautiful north-east Florida coast. Send resume, state-ment of professional goals and two let-ters of recommendation to: David B.Hawkins, Ph.D., Audiology Section, MayoClinic, 4500 San Pablo Road,Jacksonville, FL 32224 OR e-mail infor-mation to [email protected] available January, 2001.

ILLINOIS

AUDIOLOGIST:Due to expanded services, the

Audiology Department of Loyola UniversityHealth System (LUHS) seeks experiencedaudiologists for new full time and parttime positions. Working closely with ENTfaculty, these positions will see a varietyof patients from neonates to ultra geri-atric. Opportunities exist to participate inthe training of ENT residents as well asparticipate in universal newborn hearingscreening and our very active intraopera-tive monitoring and dizziness programs.We also have a thriving, very comprehen-sive hearing aid dispensing program forpatients of all ages.

Qualified candidates must have aMaster’s degree in audiology, be profi-cient in a wide range of diagnostic pro-cedures and have state of Illinois audi-ologist licensure or eligibility and IDPHcertified hearing aid dispenser licensureor eligibility. Preferred candidate wouldalso be CCC-A.

We offer a competitive salary basedon experience and a comprehensive bene-fits package that for full time positionsincludes: ten paid holidays, personal days,a matched retirement savings plan, on-campus Health and Fitness Center, educa-tional benefits for you and your depen-dents at Loyola University Chicago, multi-ple health and dental plans to chose from,and MUCH MORE! Part time positions areeligible for prorated benefits.

Loyola University Medical Center islocated ten miles west of downtownChicago. For more information about LUHSvisit our web page at www.luhs.org. Mailor fax resume to Human Resources, LoyolaUniversity Medical Center, 2160 S. FirstAvenue, Maywood, IL 60153, Fax: (708)

216-4918. Equal opportunity employer/educator, smoke-free environment. “WeAlso Treat the Human Spirit”

KANSAS

CHAIRWichita State University, Department

of Communicative Disorders and Sciences;full time, tenure eligible appointment(see www.education.twse.edu/positions.htm for complete position description.AA/EEO.

MICHIGAN

AUDIOLOGIST, CCC-A:The University of Michigan Cochlear

Implant Program is seeking a f-t audiolo-gist for pre- and post-operative evalua-tion and treatment of pediatric and adultcochlear implant patients. Experienceworking with cochlear implants, hearingaids, pediatric patients (minimum 2 yearsexperience) and auditory (re)habilitationstrongly preferred. Proficiency in signlanguage preferred but not required. Sendresume to: Terry Zwolan, PhD, Director,University of Michigan Cochlear ImplantProgram, 475 Market Place, Building 1,Suite A, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, e-mail:[email protected], fax: (734) 998-8119.

AUDIOLOGIST:Busy, expanding ENT office in Grand

Rapids, MI area seeks full time audiolo-gist. Work includes routine diagnosticsand hearing aid dispensing. Experiencepreferred. Because the four-physicianpractice has a satellite location.Candidates should be prepared to beassigned a rotating schedule that includesworking at both offices. Excellent hourlypay, beautiful environment and benefitspackage. Mail your resume with salaryrequirements to: Audiologist Position,W.M.O.A., 655 Kenmoor SE, Grand Rapids,MI 49546, or Fax it to: (616) 575-1219.

MISSOURI

ACADEMIC OTOLARYN-GOLOGY POSITION INAUDIOLOGY:

Saint Louis University, a Catholic,Jesuit institution dedicated to educa-tion, research and healthcare, is seeking

applications for a full time faculty posi-tion in the Department of Otolaryn-gology at the Assistant/ AssociateProfessor level commensurate withexpertise and level of training.Applicants must have a Master’s degreein audiology. The successful candidatewill be responsible for management ofall aspects of an academic audiologydivision within the Department withboth urban and suburban locations.

The Otolaryngology-Head and NeckSurgery Program at Saint Louis Universityis ranked 19th in the country by U.S. News& World Report and has an active, fullyaccredited, well-recognized residencyprogram. Interested applicants shouldsend a current curriculum vita to: Eric W.Sargent, MD, Assistant Professor, Dept. ofOtolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery,Saint Louis University School of Medicine,3635 Vista Avenue at Grand Blvd., St.Louis, MO 63110-0250. Saint LouisUniversity is an equal opportunity/affir-mative action employer.

NEW YORK

AUDIOLOGIST:Diagnostic and rehabilitative audiol-

ogy with hearing aid dispensing in audiol-ogy private practice. MA/MS or AuD.Board certification. ABA or ASHA.Rochester is located in Upstate WesternNew York in the beautiful Finger LakesRegion. Rochester is ranked among theEast’s most livable cities with outstand-ing cultural and recreational opportuni-ties. Contact Sheila Dalzell, The HearingCenter, 2561 Lac de Ville Blvd., Suite 101,Rochester, NY 14618. Ph: (716) 461-9192;Fax: (716) 461-9196.

PENNSYLVANIA

MOBILE UNITS:Let our 31 years of experience in

building and using mobile hearing testunits make you more efficient andprofitable. A good selection of demon-strator units is always available. Freemarketing training available with allsold units. Healthcare Enterprises, 3621Cardinal Drive, Sharpsville, PA1 6 1 50 , P h o n e : ( 7 24 ) 9 62 -405 1 ,www.healthcareenterprises.com

CLASSIFIED ADS


AUDIOLOGIST:Multiple office private practice in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania seeks a full timeor part time audiologist. CCC-A preferredbut will consider a strong CFY. We providea complete range of audiological servicesfor a pediatric through adult population.Duties include comprehensive audiometrytesting and hearing aid dispensing with astrong emphasis on digital and program-mable technology. Mail resume to: RedRose Hearing Center, 2229 Dutch GoldDrive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Or fax resumeto Red Rose Hearing Center at (717) 290-7702. Or call Red Rose Hearing Center at(717) 290-7700.

TENNESSEE

AUDIOLOGIST:Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for

Otolaryngology and CommunicationSciences has one full time position avail-

able for an audiologist in an outpatientclinic setting. Responsibilities includeaudiologic assessment and rehabilitationfor all age groups. Experience in behav-ioral testing, ABR, otoacoustic emissionsand hearing aid dispensing required.Graduate student supervision is an inte-gral part of this position. If you are inter-ested in this position, please send yourresume and three letters of recommenda-tion to: Mary Sue Fino-Szumski, PhD,MBA, Vanderbilt Bill

Wilkerson Center, 1114 19th AvenueSouth, Nashville, TN 37212, Phone: (615)936-5000, Fax: (615) 936-5013.Vanderbilt University is an AffirmativeAction/Equal Opportunity Employer.

PROFESSOR & DEPART-MENT HEAD UNIVERSITYOF TENNESSEE,KNOXVILLE:

The Department of Audiology and

Speech Pathology, The University ofTennessee, Knoxville, invites applicationsfor the position of Department Head. Thedepartment includes 15 academic faculty,26 clinical faculty and 13 support person-nel. We offer BA and MA degrees in audi-ology and speech pathology and a PhD inspeech and hearing sciences. The clinicaland academic programs are fully accredit-ed by PSB and CAA. The University ofTennessee, a Carnegie I designee, is thestate’s comprehensive land grant univer-sity with over 1200 faculty members in 21colleges and schools. The Head is chargedwith responsibilities that include: facili-tating curriculum development, facilitat-ing clinical services, managing humanresources, allocating faculty and staffworkloads, managing the budget andother responsibilities appropriate to theposition. The Head will immediately leadthe Department through the process forimplementing the AuD degree. Successfulapplicants should present strong evidenceof management and mentorship experi-ence, success in optimizing the teachingand research talents of faculty and pro-fessional staff and participation in anacademic environment with a reputationfor excellence in teaching, clinical serviceand research. The applicant should pos-sess strong interpersonal skills and theability to work cooperatively in a diverseand complex academic community. Anearned doctorate is required and currentASHA Certification of Clinical Competenceis preferred. Applicants must have ademonstrated knowledge and commit-ment to the development of diversityamong the faculty and student popula-tions and a commitment to multiculturalcurricular development. This is a ninemonth academic appointment and willbegin on August 1, 2001. Salary is com-petitive and also carries an administra-tive salary augmentation. Preference willbe given to applicants with a proven his-tory of external funding. Applicantsshould have a demonstrated commitment

to and knowledge of equal opportunityand affirmative action. Review of appli-cations will continue until the position isfilled. Applicants should provide a letterof intent, which includes the applicant’svision of a nationally distinguisheddepartment, a curriculum vita and threereferences to: Dr. Stephen J. Handel,Interim Head, Department of Audiologyand Speech Pathology, The University ofTennessee, 457 South Stadium Hall,Knoxville, TN 37996-0740. UTK is anEEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section504/ADA/ADEA Employer.

WASHINGTON

ASST PROF, AUDIOLOGY:Permanent tenure track, nine month,

summer teaching possible, starting dateAugust 16, 2001. Responsibilities: Teachprimarily at the graduate level with th pos-sibility of undergraduate instruction inaudiology to include hearing and speechscience, pediatrics, electrophysiology,auditory disorders, aural rehabilitation orhearing aids, dependent on background andinterests; develop a research program anddirect graduate student research; mayinclude clinic supervision; service to theuniversity, profession and the community.Qualifications: Doctorate in audiology orclosely related field, with CCC-A preferredand documented successful teaching andresearch experience and a history of posi-tive interaction with and mentoring of stu-dents. University information at www.wsu.edu. Send letters of application, vitaand three letters of recommendation toJeffrey D. Nye, MS, Chair, Audiology SearchCommittee, Washington State University-Spokane, 601 West First Avenue, Spokane,WA 99201-3899, Phone (509) 358-7589,FAX: (509) 358-7600, [email protected] of applications will begin January 1,2001. The position will remain open untilfilled. Washington State University is anequal opportunity/affirmative action edu-cator and employer.

CLASSIFIED ADS

For information or to place a classified ad in Audiology

Today, please contact Patsy Meredith at (303) 372-3190 or

Fax (303) 372-3189.


A M O M E N T O F S C I E N C E

It is amazing that humans are able to suc-cessfully understand speech. Speech is acomplex signal that is made up of rapidlychanging acoustic cues. Despite the signal’scomplexity and its variability from one talkerto another, we are able to perceive speecheven when it is presented in competing back-ground noise. Among the reasons that adultsare able to achieve this feat is that we do notattempt to process the entire complex sound(the forest). Instead, we unconsciously focuson spectral, temporal and intensity cues (thetrees) that we know from prior experiencewill be most helpful in decoding the sound.Even though infants have less listening expe-rience than adults, 6-month-old infants areable to discriminate many speech sounds(Kuhl, 2000). Because infants have less lis-tening experience than adults they may uselistening strategies that are not experiencerelated.

Infants approach listening tasks in a funda-mentally different way than adults. Bargonesand Werner (1994) have shown that adultsselectively listen for specific cues (trees),whereas infants do not. In fact, infants havegreat difficulty selectively focusing on rele-vant cues. For example, during a thresholdtesting experiment, adults were able to detecttones at quieter levels if they knew when asound was going to occur. Infants, in con-trast, were not only poorer at detectingsounds in general, but they are especiallypoor when prompted to listen (Werner andFormisano, 1999). These findings suggestthat infants, in comparison to adults, are lessable to selectively attend to signals.Furthermore, when hearing thresholds weremeasured in noise, adults were able to sepa-rate the tone from the noise with less diffi-culty than infants. Tone detection in noisewas 10 dB worse for infants when comparedto adults. These results suggest that not onlydo infants have more difficulty attending to asignal, they also have greater difficulty sepa-rating important details of signal such as atone, from a complex signal such as noise(Werner, 1999).

So, how do infants process complex signals such as speech?

To date, little is known about how the devel-

oping auditory system processes the criticalspectral, temporal and intensity cues used todiscriminate speech. The work of Werner andothers aims to fill this void by defining whatis normal and what is abnormal perceptualdevelopment. They also investigate whetherimpaired sound processing results frommiddle ear immaturity, primary auditoryneural immaturity, or from processes suchas attention and memory. Not only will thiswork improve the basic science of our field,this knowledge will improve our currentunderstanding of clinical disorders. Forinstance, when older children demonstratedifficulty hearing in noise or discriminatingfine temporal and spectral cues, impairedspeech processing is often attributed to“immature” auditory function. However, until we can determine the normal course

of “maturation,” attributing impairedspeech processing to “immature” function is speculative.

Bargones, J. Y. and Werner, L.A. (1994). Adults lis-ten selectively; infants do not. PsychologicalScience, 5, 170 - 174.

Kuhl, P. K. (2000). A new view of language acquisi-tion. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 97(22), 11850-11857.

Werner, L.A. (1999). Forward masking amonginfant and adult listeners. Journal of the AcousticalSociety of America, 105, 2445-2453.

Werner, L.A. and Formisano, N.M. 1999. Effects ofreduced temporal uncertainty on infants, pure-tonesensitivity. Paper presented to the 22nd MidwinterMeeting of the Association for Research in Otolar-yngology, St. Petersburg Beach, FL, February.

INFANTS CAN’T SEPARATE THE TREES FROM THE FOREST

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

Kelly Tremblay, Lisa Cunningham, Seattle, WA

AARP Looks At “Cool” New Hearing Aids

In the January/February issue of Modern Maturity (AARP’s flagship publi-

cation reaching 30 million members) look for an overview of the hippest new

hearing aid innovations for the New Year. From Sonic Innovations “one-stop”

fittings...to Phonak’s adjustable wristwatch remote control...to Songbird’s

disposable aid and more...this informative piece places hearing aids in a hip,

new light.

Also included, Academy Board member Alison Grimes weighs in with the

first quote of the article and the American Academy of Audiology gets a nice

promotion for the “Find An Audiologist” feature on our web site.

If you don’t receive Modern Maturity, look for the article at www.aarp.org.

Also worth a look, “Baby, Can You Hear Me?” in the December Reader’s

Digest. This informative article gets right to the point and makes a strong case

for early hearing screening in newborns. If you’d like a copy just contact the

Communications Department at the AAA National Office, 800-AAA-2336,

ext.204.


ACADEMY MEMBERSHIPMILESTONE REACHED!

For the first time in Academy history, membership has climbed toover 7100! Ed Sullivan, Director of Membership for theAcademy noted, “The Academy has reached a milestone as

membership climbed to 7140 on December 4, 2000. We have beenaggressive in our marketing efforts this year and as a result have addedhundreds of new members.” While Sullivan hesitated to makepredictions for the future, he did speculate that the number of memberswould continue to grow during the last three weeks of the year 2000.

In 1988, audiologists across the United States quickly rallied to joinJames Jerger and the small group of thirty founding audiologists to helpget the newly organized American Academy of Audiology off and run-ning. Early recruitment efforts resulted in nearly 2000 AAA Fellows bythe end of 1989. Membership continued to grow rapidly throughout thefirst few years and then remained steady during the late 1990’s. As aresult of the combined efforts of Sullivan and a proactive MembershipCommittee, chaired by Gyl Kasewurm, the American Academy ofAudiology concluded the millennium with a record number of members!Kasewurm and the Membership Committee will continue to expandmembership recruitment efforts during 2001. For information and appli-cations about membership in the Academy, contact Ed Sullivan, Directorof Membership at [email protected] or by telephone at 800-AAA-2336, ext. 205.

Herbs & Supplements As ATreatment for Otitis MediaIf you were intrigued by the alternative audiology editorial and article in

the last issue of Audiology Today, you will be interested in the following

news item. According to Robert Rountree, MD, an internist in Boulder,

CO, children who suffer from ear infections can be treated with Western

larch, a nutrient-rich pine extract. Its immune-fighting ingredient is a

natural sugar called arabinogalactan. A study conducted at the

Southwest Research Institute in Tempe, AZ found that 1,500mg of larch

sugar administered daily raised immune cell counts in adult volunteers.

No one has yet conducted a controlled clinical trial in children but

apparently physicians have found it useful in treating recurrent ear

infections. According to Rountree, for a daily immune boost, children

should take one teaspoon of powder daily. For acute infections children

should take the same dosage three times a day with meals. Western

larch is sold as ‘larch arabinogalactan” or “larch extract”. More infor-

mation can be found in a new book, Immunotics, written by Rountree

and Colman, and published recently by Penquin Putnam.

NEWS& Announcements

New AuD ProgramsAnnounced The Utah State University at Logan, UT hasannounced the opening of their new AuD pro-gram to begin in the fall of 2002. Additionalinformation can be obtained from KennethCurtis, Utah State University, Department ofCommunicative Disorders and Deaf Education,1000 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322-1000(435) 797-2670 or by e-mail [email protected].

The Board of Regents of Tennessee hasapproved the University of Memphis School ofAudiology and Speech Language Pathology for anew AuD degree program. Applications are cur-rently being accepted for the fall semester of2001. Additional information is availablethrough their Website at www.ausp.memphis.edu, or by contacting Herbert JayGould, 807 Jefferson Ave, Memphis, TN 38105or by e-mail at [email protected]

MEETINGSThe Ultimate Colorado Ski Meeting: AnOtolaryngology & Audiology Update, sponsoredby the University of Colorado School ofMedicine, the Colorado Hearing Foundation andthe Cochlear Corporation, will be held at ManorVail Lodge, February 10-16, 2001. In a newvenue format, participants will be able to registerfor the otolaryngology update (Sunday-Wednesday) or for the audiology update(Wednesday-Friday) or for the entire six daycourse. Additional information is available atwww.uchsc.edu/sm/otolaryn.

The Academy of Rehabilitative AudiologySummer Institute will meet at the University ofBritish Columbia in Vancouver on June 7-10,2001. For more information contact MiriamHenoch at the Academy of RehabilitativeAudiology office (952-920-0484) or by email [email protected].


NEWS& Announcements

A Salary and Benefit Survey, developed by the AcademyMembership Committee (Gyl Kasewurm, Chair), was initially dis-tributed to attendees at the 12th Annual Convention in Chicago,March 2000. The original distribution yielded 525 responses fromconvention participants.In an effort to increase thesurvey sample size thequestionnaire was sent tothe entire Academy mem-bership by fax or e-mailduring June of 2000.Members were advisednot to send duplicateresponses if they hadcompleted a question-naire at the Chicago con-vention. An additional1137 responses werereceived from the seconddistribution for a totalresponse sample of 1662,which is 23.7% of the total Academy membership. The gender distri-bution of respondents was 80% female and 20% male.

Nearly one half of respondents work in either an audiology pri-vate practice (25%) or an ENT office (24%). The remaining respon-dents work in hospitals (19%), clinics (13%), public and privateschools (5%), Veterans Administration (3%), universities (2%),Federal agencies (2%), industrial settings (3%) or other medical set-tings (3%). Master’s degrees were held by 85% of the respondentswhile the remaining 15% reported holding doctoral degrees.

The Academy 2000 survey results showed an average annual basesalary for an audiologist to be $52,706. Audiologists who are paid acommission received an average commission of $15,293. Of thosewho received a bonus in addition to salary, the average bonus is $7,952.These results from the Academy Survey suggests that the compensa-tion for audiologists is steadily increasing since smaller sample studiesof audiologists’ salaries reported by ASHA indicated a median salaryof $44,000 in 1999 and $48,000 in 2000. When analyzed by place ofemployment, the Academy 2000 data indicates that audiologists in fed-eral government and private practice settings have the highest averagesalaries ($62,835 - 65,626) while those employed in ENT office set-tings report the lowest average salaries ($41,102).

The survey data revealed significant differences in the overall com-pensation packages between males and females. Males receive an aver-age salary of $73, 695, which is $20,989 more than the mean of thetotal survey population, whereas females receive an average salary of$47,660, which is $5,100 below the mean of the total population. Thisdifference may be due in part to the fact that more women work parttime than men. Furthermore, a larger percentage of men holding doc-toral degrees responded to the survey than women and more men holdthe title of owner and/or supervise more staff than their female coun-terparts. There were no significant differences in the types of benefitsthat men and women receive from employers.

As expected, salaries for doctoral level professionals were signifi-

cantly higher than for audiologists holding Master’s degrees.Respondents who hold PhD or EdD degrees reported an averagesalary of $88,000 while those holding AuD degrees reported averagesalaries slightly above $69,000. Individuals holding Masters degreesreported annual average salaries of $48,000.

The most common employment benefits described by the surveyrespondents included health insurance (82%), paid vacation time(80%), eight paid annual holidays (71%), continuing education sup-port (68%) and paid sick leave (61%).

Results from the Academy’s Salary and Benefit 2000 Survey sup-port the position that audiologists’ salaries are steadily increasingannually. A full report of the survey procedures and results with moredetailed information is available through the Academy NationalOffice for $20 and can be obtained by contacting Ed Sullivan at 800-222-2336 ext. 205 or at [email protected].

Membership SubCommittee Members 2000 Salary and Benefits Survey:Gyl Kasewurm, Chair, St. Joseph, MI; Dennis Burrows, Kalamazoo, MI;Deborah Carlson, Galveston, TX; Karen Jacobs, Grand Rapids, MI.

Academy Completes Salary & Benefit Survey

Respondents

who hold PhD

or EdD degrees

reported an

average salary

of $88,000

RUSH UNIVERSITYDepartment of Communication

Disorders and SciencesRush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center

Chicago, IL

proudly announcesthe opening of its

DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY(AuD)

PROGRAM

Fall 2002

For information contact:Dianne H. Meyer, PhD

(312) [email protected]

Doctoral study in a large, urban academic medical center providing the advantages of the

teach-practitioner educational model.

You are cordiallyinvited to attend

WORKING WONDERS WORKSHOPWhat will be covered?

SIMS Basic and Advanced User’s Training.

When? April 20, 2001BasicSession 1 8:30am-10:00amSession 3 1:15pm-2:45pmAdvancedSession 2 10:30am-12:00pmSession 4 3:15pm-4:45pm

Where? American Academy of Audiology Convention2001 San Diego

CLASS SIZE IS LIMITED…

CALL 1-888-727-3366Register by January 31, 2001.


NEWS& Announcements

Sam Lybarger, one of the true pioneers of the hearing aid industry,passed away in November from a stroke. Lybarger was trained as an engi-neer and ultimately became President of the Radioear Hearing AidCompany. He held a number of important patents related to acoustics andhearing aids and worked closely with the American Bureau of Standards.He developed an early “master hearing aid unit”, standardized the boneconduction oscillator, the 2 cc coupler and the telephone coil used intoday’s hearing aids. Lybarger was especially well respected by all whoknew him and has been described as “an engineer’s engineer and a gentle-man’s gentleman”. Lybarger was a featured speaker at the “Aural History”session at the Academy’s 1992 Convention held in Nashville.

Gail Rosenberg has accepted a position with Teltronics asDirector of Special Needs Education for Interactive Solutions.Rosenberg concludes a distinguished career with the SchoolBoard of Sarasota County. She is the current president of theeducational Audiology Association.

New NAFDA OfficersNAFDA held its first elections for national officers at each Chapter by offi-cial ballot.Here is the list of NAFDA Officers for 2001:

Executive Officers:President: Jina Scherer (Central Michigan)Past-President: Delbert Ault (Louisville)Vice President: Jennifer Hutchison (Gallaudet)Secretary: Katie Phelan (Florida)Treasurer: Lindsay Gillette (Florida)

Committee Officers:Alumni Affairs: Trisha Lyn (Nova Southeastern)Business Development: Erika Johnson (South Florida)Conventions: Cheryl Wiggins (Louisville)Distance Learning: Elyse Ewig (Nova Southeastern)Education: Shannon Van Hyfte (Ball State)Membership: Elizabeth Hoehl (Gallaudet); Buffalo DelegateOrganizations: Jenna Dye (Louisville)Projects: Lisa Whitney (Central Michigan)Publications: Jeff Orcutt (Ball State); Buffalo DelegatePublic Relations: Maura Kenworthy (South Florida)

These officers will be in office January 21, 2001 - January 19, 2002.Current NAFDA Officers and these Officers-Elect will meet in San Diego, CA,October 24-29, 2001 to discuss Board issues and new NAFDA Chapters. Infor-mation on these officers and AuD programs will be at www.nafda.org soon.

Barry Freeman, Dean ofthe Nova SoutheasternUniversity Programs inCommunication Sciences andDisorders, recently met withFootball Hall of Fame coach,Don Shula, to discuss plansfor the continued growth ofthe Nova SoutheasternUniversity Audiology andSpeech Language Pathologyprograms. Coach Shula wasthe honorary chairperson for“Voices for Children,” anannual event to support speech language pathology and audiolo-gy services for children with severe communication disorders.

P A S S A G E S

ILLINOIS OBTAINS SINGLE LICENSURE In early December, 2000, the State of Illinois 91st General

Assembly passed SB1404 which exempts audiologists from theHearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act (HICPA). Sincethe passage of the HICPA in 1984, dispensing audiologists andhearing aid dispensers have been regulated by the IllinoisDepartment of Public Health. The Speech Language Pathologyand Audiology Act, which was passed approximately two yearsafter the HICPA, is administered by the Illinois Department ofProfessional Regulation (IDPR).

Since the enactment of the SLP/A licensure law, dispensingaudiologists have been required to maintain two licenses. Withthe passage of SB1404, audiologists will be regulated only by theIDPR, effective January 1, 2001. In addition, graduate audiolo-gy students are no longer regulated by the HICPA, and they maydispense hearing aids with out a license under the supervision ofan audiologist licensed by IPDR.

PRELIMINARY CONFERENCEANNOUNCEMENT:

The AG Bell Association will host a summer conference titled,

The Human Genome Project and Hearing Loss from July 27-

29, 2001 in Bethesda, MD. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Francis

Collins of the Human Genome Institute as well as an outstanding

faculty. For more information contact AG Bell at (202) 337-5220,

x123 or e-mail [email protected]

A.U. Bankaitis left her position as Director of Audiology,Department of Otolaryngology-HNS at St. Louis University MedicalCenter and has joined the divisions of Marketing and Clinical Affairsat Otologics, LLC, in Boulder, CO.


The Noise Manual (5th Edition)The Noise Manual was initially published in 1958 with subsequent

editions in 1966, 1975, 1986 and the new 5th edition in 2000. The NoiseManual is a project of the American Industrial Hygiene Association’sNoise Committee and five editors, Elliott Berger, Larry Royster, JulieRoyster, Dennis Driscoll and Marty Layne. Additionally, a dozen otherauthors and 21 reviewers participated in the project which yielded an 800+page text with 18 chapters and 4 appendices.

The materials of the text are grouped into four sections: I: Fundamen-tals of sound, vibration and hearing; II: Elements of a hearing conservationprogram; III: Noise interference and annoyance; and, IV: Regulations, stan-dards and laws.

Within each section is extensive coverage by recognized experts in theirrespective fields. Appendices are provided that include the OSHA NoiseStandard and Hearing Conservation Amendment, over 200 references forgood practice, properties of materials and engineering conversions and acopy of the newly released National Hearing Conservation Association(NHCA) guide to revision of baseline audiograms (for STS or for apparenthearing improvements. The book may be ordered by contacting theAmerican Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) at 703-849-8888 orvisiting their web site at www.aiha.org.

NEWS& Announcements

SHHH National Day ofHearing Testing 2000 The massive project undertaken by Self Help for Hard ofHearing People to raise awareness of hearing problemswas deemed a huge success by the SHHH NationalOffice. The National Hearing Test Day was compliment-ed with publicity from an Ann Lander’s letter regardingthe SHHH program. Some 22 states issued proclama-tions from their governors regarding the importance ofhearing and the need to identify hearing loss. SHHHsummarized the effort reporting that 75,850 peoplewere given hearing screenings in 2,050 sites across thenation, or an average of 37 individuals screened at eachsite. In addition, SHHH reports that during the Aprilcampaign their website measured a record number ofhits (364,251) with each visitor spending almost teneach minutes on the website. SHHH will repeat thecampaign on May 5, 2001, changing the name to theNational Day of Hearing Screening. Save the date!

Lucille B. Beck Receives Presidential RankAward for Meritorious Executive Service

On November 28, 2000, Lucille B. Beck,director of Audiology and SpeechPathology Service for the Department

of Veterans Affairs received the PresidentialRank Award for Meritorious ExecutiveService. The Presidential Rank awards recog-nize executives with careers of sustainedaccomplishment, i.e., executives who haveconsistently demonstrated strength, leadership,integrity, industry and personal conduct of alevel that has established and maintains a highdegree of public confidence and trust.

The rank of Meritorious Executive isawarded to no more than 5% of career seniorexecutives. Dr. Beck is the first audiologist toachieve this honor. The Honorable William J.Clinton, President of the United States ofAmerica, conferred the rank of MeritoriousExecutive in the Senior Executive Service.President Clinton’s written remarks recog-nized Dr. Beck “for sustained extraordinaryaccomplishment in management of programsof the United States government and for lead-ership exemplifying the highest standards ofservice to the public, reflecting credit on thecareer civil service.” In addition to Presidentialrecognition for her career contributions theaward is accompanied by a cash prize.

Beck was honored for her leadership of

the VA’s 1000 Audiology and SpeechPathology professionals in approximately150 VA medical centers around the country.Her clinical program direction was cited forproviding high quality health care to veteranswith hearing, speech, language and relateddisorders. Recognizing that technology, suchas hearing aids, is an integral part of the reha-bilitation of veterans with communicationdisorders, Beck’s outstanding direction oftechnical assessment initiatives and program-matic management of communication-relat-ed rehabilitative technologies were recog-nized for their excellence. Her programsblend best professional practices with effi-cient business practices.

Beck has made significant contributions tothe health and quality of life of the nation’s vet-erans and to the professions she represents.Beck led the development of innovative educa-tional initiatives for VA professionals and forthe training of future audiologists and speechpathologists. She has established collaborativeinitiatives for VA with the National Institutes ofHealth and the Department of Defense. Heraccomplishments in the areas of education, pro-fessional and community service and researchreflect her commitment to excellence. She has

served as president of the American Academyof Audiology and received that organization’sDistinguished Service Award. She served on theBoard of Trustees for Self Help for Hard ofHearing Persons. She has been a member of theEar, Nose, and Throat Advisory Panel for theFood and Drug Administration and was award-ed the Commissioner’s Special Citation. Shehas held academic appointments at GeorgeWashington and Gallaudet Universities teachinggraduate courses at both institutions. She hascontributed to many publications and presenta-tions and is a recognized expert in hearing aids.It is with great honor to the American Academyof Audiology that our past president, LucilleBeck, has received this highest career recogni-tion in the Civil Service of the United States.

Lucille Beck


For many years the rehabilitation of

children with hearing impairments has

been a difficult goal to attain in the

country of Panamà. Children with

hearing problems are grouped in the

same classroom with children who

have normal hearing and multiple

handicapping conditions and it is not

for purposes of mainstreaming or

inclusion. The lack of trained school

personnel to work with students with

hearing impairment and the lack of

resources to purchase amplification

have contributed to the paucity of

appropriate intervention. The

1990 Census in Panamà showed

that hearing loss is the second

most prevalent handicapping con-

dition at the national level.

In order to address these issues

the Foundation for the Aural-0ral

Re/Habilitation of the Hearing

Impaired Child (Fundaciòn Pro

Re/Habilitaciòn Auditiva y Oral

del Niño - F.R.H.A.O.N.) was

formed in 1997. Their mission is to advocate for

the rights of children with hearing impairment in

the city of Chitrè, Herrera, thus their motto: “ I

can’t hear...Help me do so!” They want to help

children assume their place in society with dig-

nity and be able to communicate and interact in

their environment. The Foundation raises money

through local radio cam-

paigns, donations and

contributions of local

businesses and corpora-

tions, collection of money

in the downtown streets

and fund raising activities

such as cattle raffles, din-

ner parties and dances.

The Foundation pro-

vides auditory rehabilita-

tion to children with hearing problems through an aural-oral

school, hearing aid fitting, cochlear implant evaluation, surgery and

mapping and followups. So far, twenty children have been fitted

binaurally with new, donated hearing aids and 11 additional chil-

dren have received cochlear implants.

The AAA CODIE $1,000 award will go toward additional hear-

ing aids and accessories for children in need. We

would like to acknowledge the following individu-

als who supported our efforts in a very altruistic

way: Peter Roland, Otolaryngologist, UT

Southwestern Medical School for performing all 11

surgeries, Ross Roeser, Lee Wilson and Brisy

Northrup from the Callier Center at UT-Dallas for

training, donating hearing aids, supplies and teach-

ing our staff in workshops. Our gratitude to

Cochlear Corporation, the Mexican Institute of

Hearing and Language (IMAL), the doctors and

staff of the hospitals “Caja

de Seguro Social” and “El

Vigia” and the people from

Chitrè who believed in our

cause and gave us their pen-

nies and dollars.

For further information,

contributions and/or dona-

tions, please contact: Leyda

Diaz de Rodriguez at:

[email protected] .

Manuela de Bernal, Rosia de Garcia, Daniade Castillo, Johnny Costillo, Leyda deRodriguez, Juan Vilallaz, Marta deVillarreal, Gladys Mendieta, Jorge Arrue

Seminario 98

FernandoValencia and

FernandoValencia, Jr.

Peter Rolandand JohnnyCastillo

2001 CODIE Humanitarian Award


Poonpit Amyatyakul, selected as the recipientof the Academy’s Committee on Diversity andInternational Exchange Award for 2001, is a pro-fessor at Mahidul Medical School in Thailand. Heis a consummate ENT physician, superb teacher,magnificent mentor and powerful advocate forpeople with disabilities and their families.

Poonpit is an internationally recognized leaderin the field of communication disorders. He isknown for his pioneering work involving school-aged children with middle ear disorders.

His work led to numerous grants from the LionInternational club to fund his project of maintain-ing the hearing of young school children. The firstgraduate program in communication disorders inThailand was established by Poonpit and in thelast 10 years he achieved his dream by creating

the very first college for individualswith deaf, blind and physical disabil-ities in Asia. Poonpit ensured thecivil rights for deaf people and heappears frequently in the nationalmedia, bringing the field of commu-nication sciences and disorders topublic attention.

Poonpit received the Distin-guished Teacher Award from HisMajesty, the King of Thailand. Hehas presented more than 100papers and workshops worldwideand is the author of numerous arti-cles dealing with prevention, assessment, treat-ment of hearing loss and music.

Poonpit received his med-ical training at Mahidol Univer-sity in Thailand. He completedhis graduate degree in audiol-ogy from Temple University inPhiladelphia while serving asan ENT resident. The Divisionof Communication Disordersin Thailand is responsiblefor educating over 200 speech-language pathologists andaudiologists.The majority ofgraduates work in either ENToffices or in rehabilitative med-

icine. Poonpit will be recognized and receive hisaward during a ceremony at the Academy’s SanDiego Convention in April, 2001.

Poonpit Amatyakul Sumalai Maroonorge, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX 77710

2001 CODIE INTERNATIONAL AWARD

7AAA FOUNDATION GOLF TOURNAMENT

at the Annual AAA Convention, San Diego 2001

Sign up today for the First Annual AAA Foundation Golf Tournament!

Official Entry Form AAA FOUNDATION 1st Annual Golf Tournament

When: April 20, 2001 at 1 PM

Where:DoubleTree Golf Resort San Diego, CA

Type of Tournament: Florida Scramble

Cost: $100/player donation to theAAA Foundation(Donation includes green fees, golf cart,range balls, goody bag and lunch.)

More information and a registration form are available at: www.audiology.org/professional/foundation/

Transportation will be provided to and fromthe DoubleTree Golf Resort.

Manufacturers’ sponsorship is welcomed.Please contact Creig Dunckel, Chair, AAAFoundation.

Name ______________________________

Company __________________________

Address ____________________________

__________________________________

City, State, Zip ______________________

Phone______________________________

Entry Fee $100

Make checks payable to: AAA Foundation

� Enclosed is my check for: ____________� Please charge to my:

� VISA � MasterCard � AmEx

Card # ____________________________

Exp. Date __________________________

Signature __________________________

Please list the names of your foursomebelow. Golfers will be paired if a four-some is not listed.

Name/Handicap:

1. ________________________________

2. ________________________________

3. ________________________________

4. ________________________________

Mail entry no later than April 1, 2001to:D. Creig Dunckel6809 W. Northwest HighwayDallas, Texas 75445Telephone: 214-906-7309


Keynote Presentation, Canadian Academy ofAudiology, Toronto, Canada, October, 2000

Audiologists in Canada are providing servicesin the remotest parts of the country and are anintegral part of hearing healthcare schemes across thecountry. We have a newnational audiology associa-tion, as well as provincialassociations. Audiology pro-grams are being set up in col-leges in several provinces.We are practicing in increas-ingly diverse settings, hospi-tals, doctor’s offices, schools,industry, hearing aid dispen-saries, private practice andeven the corporate world.The more broadly we prac-tice, the more likely we are tobecome embedded in the fab-ric of our social environment;and therefore, to survive personally and collec-tively. Clearly, we have arrived as a professionin the public eye and we have a great deal ofwhich to be proud.

So we have survived, but what more? Whatconstitutes a satisfying lifetime career so that at the end of the day we can say we not onlysurvived, but also, made a difference? Whatdoes it take to flourish as an individual and asa profession? We are, in fact, fortunate to be

in a profession that can provide personalsatisfaction, the potential to make huge differences in the lives of our patients.

The answer lies in why most people choose theprofession of audiology. I believe it is becauseof our personal need to touch people. Manysee audiology as a technologic field based onmachines and instruments. As students andprofessionals we are crunched through a sys-tem that is technology driven, often leaving the“people side” behind. How many times havewe retreated to the safety of device-orientedcounseling or dispensing instead of actually lis-tening to the client or parent? You neverknow...there could be a tidal wave of emotionwaiting to engulf you!

We need to get back to our roots. Audiologybecame a profession to meet the needs of peo-ple that other professions could not meet,namely rehabilitation of hearing impaired USWWII veterans. If we stay bound to devices

and technology we risk losing agolden opportunity and a niche wehave to carve out for ourselves. Letus get away from the myopicobsession with technology. Wecannot fight the physicians on diag-nosis or engineers on technology.Accessible and cheaper MRI is mak-ing ABR a potentially historicotoneurologic test. Hearing aidmanufacturers’ encoding rulesthreaten hearing aid selection.Implantable hearing aids put sur-geons in the driver’s seat.Safeguarding the future of the pro-fession does not lie in answeringquestions like “What screeningdevice should we buy?” or “What

failure criteria should we use?”

We need to get back to what audiologists areuniquely qualified to be. By virtue of ourtechnologic training and people orientation,audiologists are in an optimal position to bethe prime keepers of the hearing care process.How many otolaryngologists have the time orinclination to be people people. Most of themare surgeons after all! How many engineersdo you know who aren’t terrified at theprospect of talking about feelings? Let’s stopthinking in medical model terms and movetowards a total care model that is client, family,child, consumer oriented.

The World Health Organization (WHO) nowfocuses on a real world, not a medical model ofdisease consequence. Whereas previouslyWHO spoke of impairment, disability and handi-cap, it now focuses on impairment, activity andparticipation. In the new WHO model, patientsare treated as unique, integrated members of asocial group not just as impaired ears. Theseconcepts represent amazing shifts in socialthinking and are powerful, useful constructs forus to use to create a unique professional niche.Audiologists have the foundations but we mustbe prepared to develop and use them to provide

consumers with what they want and need. Thedays of the paternalistic approach to manage-ment of disease consequences are fading offinto the dust of history.

Consumers want information and choices andwe must be prepared to provide both. No more“this is the aid for you...” but rather “these areyour choices because......” If we bury our headsin “audiology” sand, comfortable and safethough it may be, there will be one unhappyostrich whose tail feathers get yanked. It is sim-ply not possible to survive in splendid isolationin these days of program management, teamstructures and integrated programs. If we donot listen and make our consumers our partnersin care, they will find someone else who will.And more than that, we have to be advocates forthe hard-of-hearing and deaf, through our asso-ciations, our institutions and personally. Howelse can we claim our rightful place in the dri-ver’s seat of hearing health care systems?

Many of us still cling to safety and comfort ofour machines. It is secure back there behindthe sound room window with the computersdoing the work. Besides, that’s how it hasalways been done. We react with defensive-ness when we are challenged by the outsideworld, be it about billing or our qualifications orwhether or not we can diagnose. But we canno longer afford the smug security of ourcocoon existence. We cannot pretend that weare the only players on the block and machinatein our own little fiefdoms. We have to get outthere and position ourselves to have a pivotalcoordinated integrative role in collegial partner-ships with other professions. Let us carve outour own unique turf! Ultimately the way to wina turf war is to grow your own lawn. We canwin on the people front by being the ones whocoordinate the technology and the people stufffor the hard-of-hearing or deaf person.

The first challenge is to the training and contin-uing education programs. The audiologist of thetwenty-first century has to be flexible, client-centered and involved with other members ofthe hearing care team. That is a mouthful buthow exactly do you train/educate people to havethese attributes? I am not sure you can exactlyteach them other than by example but they can

K E Y N O T E S P E E C H

TO SURVIVE OR TO FLOURISHKrista Riko, director, audiology and speech, Mt. Sinai hospital, toronto, Ontario, Canada

Krista Riko


be embraced so that they become ingrainedsets of core values. The clinical educator’s jobwill be even more complex because they willhave to worry not only about ensuring disci-pline specific experiences, but also appropriateprocess and team experiences.

The second challenge is to those of us workingin the field. We have to believe that change ispossible. We have to be able to think outside thebox. Who made the box anyway? Often we aretoo mired by history, traditional power struc-tures and payment systems. We have to getpast all that. To flourish we have to find alliesand look for linkages and outreach opportunities.

We must be proactive in areas that are politi-cally and temporally advantageous. We mustlook for opportunities rather than covering ourbutts. For example, in an institutional setting,an audiologist could set up outcome evalua-tions and quality assessment, anticipatingexternal forces such as accreditation, ratherthan reacting to the external demand when itinevitably comes. We must dare to be thedepartment that innovates by going after com-munity outreach and consumer linkages. Wemust be seen to be proactive and helpful, notdefensive. We must develop a mindset forvalue-added contributions individually or as adepartment. We must be seen to be the groupwho asks, “What can we do for you?” not“What can you do for us?” Remember that thefirst rule is that we have to be at the table, sowe must be sure we have an invitation.

How to get the invitation? The usual way is bydoing something innovative in a strategic direc-tion. We must blow our own horns and makesure everyone knows of us. We must formstrategic alliances and find key individuals towhom we will be useful. Most innovationsoccur at an interpersonal level. We have to beknown by individuals around us who are in aposition to advance our cause. They must knowus and our work in order to advance our cause.

The sad part is that if we do not do anything,for sure nothing happens. But if we do some-thing and the stars align, something mightactually happen! The moral is to keep doing iteven if nothing happens for a long time. Anexample of hanging in there and being at thetable that seems to have paid off is happeningas we speak. For decades now, audiologistsacross the country have worked to promote thecause of early identification of hearing loss ininfants. The first Canadian endeavor, to myknowledge, occurred in 1964 in Toronto where

the first international symposium on early iden-tification took place. The recommendationsfrom this meeting were curiously contempo-rary: identify hearing loss as early as possible,amplify as early as possible, educate physicians

and parents. Then not much happened until thelate 1970s and early 1980s when a few earlydetection programs came into being.

Recently, however, the political stars aligned,the strategic alliances paid off and being at thetable worked. The provincial governmentannounced an Ontario Infant Hearing Programthat is in the process of development. A keyingredient to getting a toe in the governmentdoor in the first place was the ability to providefacts and figures around early identification. Icannot over emphasize the importance ofstrong scientific bases for the causes weespouse and promote because funding bodiesrequire it. We have to be on top of the mostcurrent evidence-based practices and we mustsupport our research colleagues. Our profes-sion is only as strong as its scientific underpin-nings. Without outcome evaluations and cost-benefit analyses we will not even get to firstbase. But sadly the evidence is not always avail-able. Therefore we must support and encourageacademic audiologists to identify new principlesand techniques. We need hearing healthcarescientists even if they come from allied disci-plines. We need to embrace, not exclude, pre-mier scientists from our table.

In summary what might be some guiding prin-ciples for us to follow?

• We must be “people” oriented profession-

als. We must use technology but do notforget the individual to whom the ears areattached.

• We must not waste precious time and

energy fighting turf wars. We must speakwith one voice and work as a team! Therole model is our physician colleague’sbehavior whenever he or she is chal-lenged or under threat.

• We must be coherent, consistent and havean identifiable position. Young professionalstend to act myopically and in an uncoordi-nated way. They do not always see the les-sons to be learned from analogous groupswho were successful. If we cannot form astrategic alliance with local audiology col-leagues, how will we fare with pediatricians?

• We must look for a unique role and fulfill itin an exemplary fashion. We must seekallies. They can be found in the mostunusual places, if only we look. How canwe make ourselves useful to people inauthority? Ultimately it is all about person-al connections and mutual respect.

• We must not fall into the trap of believingthat just because we have always done some-thing one way it is the right or best way.Quality improvement and research pro-grams are our best insurance for the future.

• And last but not least, we must NEVER, EVER,GIVE UP!

The opinions expressed in this Viewpoint arethose of the author(s) and in no way should beconstrued as representative of the editor, officersor staff of the American Academy of Audiology.

The Board of Directors of the Canadian Audiology Association.

V I E W P O I N T

TO SURVIVE OR TO FLOURISH


The Canadian Academy of Audiology held its third annual convention in

Toronto, October 19-20, 2000. The special program featured an exclu-

sive Canadian experience with “All Canadian” speakers planned by

Joseph Henne, CAA 2000 Conference Chair and his committee. The con-

vention was attended by the more than 300 registrants. The program

included 21 scientific sessions and more than 10 poster presentations,

complemented by a busy exhibit area. Krista Riko delivered the

Opening Keynote Address, “To Survive or Flourish in Audiology” which

is excerpted in this issue of AT. Social activities during the convention

included a Silent Auction and “Truly Canadian” Evening Reception.

During the tenure of CAA President Ann Caulfield, the Canada Academy

of Audiology established a national head office at 250 Consumers Road,

Suite 301, Willowdale, Ontario M2J4V6, Canada (800)-264-5106. CAA

may also be contacted by e-mail at [email protected] or visit their

new Website at www.canadianaudiology.com.

“All Canadian”Conference 2000

President-electGreg Noel