EAA Position Statements
Positions Statements: These statements represent recommended practice standards on specific topics as they apply to educational audiologists and related professionals in the schools.
Roles and Responsibilities of Educational Audiologist in EHDI and Early Childhood Programs (approved October 2023):
Audiologists who are employed in school settings have an opportunity as well as responsibility to promote early detection and intervention for children with hearing and listening challenges. While Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of audiology includes identification of children with auditory impairments, the responsibility of population-based hearing screening activities are generally considered health initiatives rather than special education. Read more…
Audiology Assistants in Educational Audiology Settings (approved February 2023): The purpose of an assistant is to support the lead professional in performing routine duties. For audiology, the assistant performs tasks that are prescribed, directed and supervised by a licensed educational audiologist. This support enables the educational audiologist to focus on more complex responsibilities related to student care. Read more…
Supporting Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Shared and Suggested Roles of Educational Audiologists and Clinical Audiologists (approved May 2022): This document is recommended/suggested as a framework for discussion between Educational Audiologists and Clinical Audiologists to facilitate collaboration and provide comprehensive services for the student. It is intended to provide a template of the roles an audiologist can serve to improve communication and clarity for all professionals serving students. Roles and responsibilities may vary based on areas of expertise and availability of each provider. View form…
Hearing Screening Considerations for Children with Significant Disabilities (approved October 2021): This document provides guidance to educational audiologists and school health services personnel for designing and implementing effective hearing screening programs for school age children (3-21) with additional disabilities. Read more…
Classroom Acoustics and Hearing: Essentials to Learning (approved December 2020): Children need to hear clearly to learn in the classroom. They spend 60-75% of their school day actively listening to their teachers and peers (Butler, 1975, Dahlquist, 1998). They can tolerate only so much background noise and reverberation for good perception of speech, and, therefore, comprehension and learning are compromised. Good acoustics require both environmental factors and appropriate room design. Read more…
The Role of Educational Audiologists in IDEA’s Special Factors (approved June 2020): A recent trend in court decisions, and Department of Education and Department of Justice guidance reminds us that school systems increasingly are being held accountable under IDEA, ADA, and Section 504 for their obligations to assess students in all areas of suspected disability. A comprehensive assessment is needed in order to obtain a complete picture of a child’s needs and to plan for appropriate accommodations and interventions to address identified needs [20 U.S.C. §1414(b)(3). Read more…
(B)].
Educational Audiologists and Implantable Hearing Devices (including Cochlear Implants and Bone Anchored Hearing Systems) (approved May 2020): Educational audiologists are valued and active members of implantable hearing device teams. Implantable devices include cochlear implants, bone anchored hearing systems (also known as osseointegrated hearing devices), and other implantable hearing technologies. Educational audiologists make valuable contributions during the assessment, programming and management stages of implantable devices for children considering or using these devices in educational programs. Most children who use implantable devices spend most of their school time in a structured classroom learning environment. Read more…
Educational Audiology Scope of Practice (August 2019): The purpose of the EAA Scope of Practice statement is to identify and describe areas that are unique to the practice of audiology in education settings. Accordingly, this statement should inform educational licensure requirements for school-based audiologists, local school district educational audiology practice (NASDSE, 2018) as well as Au.D. and post-graduate professional development coursework in educational audiology. This statement expands on the audiology scope of practice statements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA, 2018) and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA, 2004). Read more…
Supporting Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Shared and Suggested Roles of Educational Audiologists, Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Speech-Language Pathologists
Educational audiologists, teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, and speech-language pathologists are critical partners on the school education team. Together, they address the needs of students who are deaf and hard of hearing and promote language and communication access that is essential for participation and learning in today’s educational environments. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) all contain regulations pertinent to the services and accommodations contained in this guidance document. Read more…
Over the Counter Hearing Aids (approved February 2018): The Food and Drug Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on August 3, 2017. This legislation includes the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 that mandated the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop regulations for the purchase of over the counter (OTC) hearing aids by adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. The intent of this bill was to increase affordable access to hearing health care by individuals over 18 years of age. However, in doing so, consumers can bypass diagnostic hearing evaluations and consultation with an audiologist. Read more…
Minimal, Mild and Unilateral Hearing Loss/Single-Sided Deafness (approved August 2017): Children with minimal or mild, unilateral hearing loss, or single-sided deafness (MMUSSD) often experience communication and educational difficulties. Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) refers to any level of hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing in the other ear while single-sided deafness (SSD) refers to a profound hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing levels in the other. Read more…
Early Detection & Intervention of Hearing Loss: Roles and Responsibilities for the Educational Audiologist (approved January 2002): Audiologists who are employed in school settings have an opportunity as well as responsibility to promote early detection and intervention of hearing loss. While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of audiology includes identification of children with hearing loss, the responsibility of population-based screening activities are generally considered health initiatives rather than special education responsibilities. In addition to identification, IDEA mandates assessment, referral, provision of amplification and habilitation services, and counseling parents and teachers. Read more…