Audiologist - Specialized Instruction

About the role

The Educational Audiologist supports the instructional program for students with hearing difficulties as part of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. The Educational Audiologist will collaborate with the DHH staff to identify, assess and implement hearing assistive technology for children ages 3 to 22 years of age. The Educational Audiologist serves as the technical expert in confirming that a child is receiving appropriate auditory access to his/her curriculum and will recommend hearing assistive technology systems as needed. This is a 10-month, 195 day, Licensed position reporting to the Director of Special Programs & Related Services in the Office of Specialized Instruction.

Qualifications

• Education: A Master's or Doctoral degree in Audiology or Audiology/Speech Pathology from an American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) accredited college or university required.
• Certificates & Licenses: A Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology is required. Must possess a valid VA license in Audiology. No VDOE License required.
• Minimum Qualifications: Two or more years of successful work experience as an educational audiologist preferred but not required. Experience in fitting personal FM/DM systems on children with various types of cochlear implants and hearing aids is preferred. Ability to perform multiple, complex technical tasks to meet changing demands in the school environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment and/or consultation for students with potential or identified hearing assistive technology needs
• Perform functional listening assessments to determine student's ability to access auditory information in the classroom
• Perform classroom observations and measurement of classroom noise & acoustics to help guide educational accommodation recommendations and program planning when needed
• Conduct comprehensive audiological evaluations in the school setting, including tests that assess inner and middle ear functioning, on each child who is hearing impaired or deaf or who fails two hearing screening tests
• Perform tympanometry screening, otoscopic evaluations, electroacoustic analysis and real ear measurements of amplification devices when needed
• Assist and guide IEP teams on hearing assistive technology candidacy and serve as the lead expert on device selection, fitting, validation and management of appropriate hearing assistive technology options
• Prepare a wide variety of written materials (e.g. activity logs, correspondence, Medicaid billings, reports, required IEP documentation, etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written reference, and conveying information
• Provide in-service/trainings/workshops to school staff on hearing loss, screening tools and techniques, and educational implications along with the use of amplification equipment and assistive technology
• Instruct and create a monitoring plan for the proper use and documentation of functionality of hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA) and hearing assistive technology
• Provide school-based troubleshooting and repair of amplification and hearing assistance equipment when needed
• Maintain up-to-date computerized inventory of supplies in Google formats, tracking equipment placements, orders, repairs and maintenance throughout the school division for the purpose of ensuring availability of items
• Establish and maintain effective and collaborative relationships with students, teachers, staff, parents and other support staff and agencies
• Work with school nursing staff to coordinate follow up assessment for students who have failed hearing screenings to help identify educationally significant hearing loss
• Interpret medical reports within the scope of audiologist's experience and explain implications to school personnel based on clinical audiological evaluations from outside medical providers or professionals
• Participate in multidisciplinary IEP team meetings and the decision making process, including the program placement for students with hearing impairments
• Educate students about hearing loss, amplification technology and noise pollution for the purpose of teaching self-advocacy and self-awareness skills
• Transport supplies and equipment to a variety of school sites in the school division for the purpose of ensuring the availability of items needed for audiological testing and repairing hearing devices
• Collaborate and consult with hearing healthcare professionals, as appropriate, to ensure that the hearing needs of students are met