Examples of General Learning Objectives:
By the end of this placement, students will:
- Understand the process of service, from referral to discharge
- Develop an understanding of the role of the Audiologist within the setting and the connections with other team members
- Learn to interact with young children, their families, teachers or other team members
- Develop ability to observe and interpret children’s behaviours
- Develop skills in basic audiologic assessment with children
- Develop skills in planning and implementing treatment with children
- Develop skills in report writing and documentation
- Develop self-evaluation skills
Example Specific Course Objectives
(Note that the student will likely not achieve independence in all these clinical skills and even at the end of the externship, many of the sessions will be shared responsibility with the Clinical Educator)
Client-clinician interaction:
The student will learn to interact effectively with parents and children of different age groups.
Process of Service:
The Clinical Educator will orient the student to the service delivery model and clinical management process used in the agency.
Role of the Audiologist:
The Clinical Educator will orient the student to the role of the audiologist within the agency along with discussion of other team members and their roles.
Assessment:
The student will take a case history from a family member
Otoscopy – student will complete otoscopic exams and develop skills in recognizing abnormal findings.
- The student will conduct standard pure tone and speech audiometry – including masking when needed.
- The student will conduct play audiometry and speech audiometry with applicable picture pointing tasks.
- The student will conduct an assessment with Visually Reinforced Audiometry
- The student will conduct immittance and otoacoustic emissions testing.
- The student will learn about clinical decision making when timing and child cooperation indicates complete assessment cannot be obtained.
- Where applicable to the site – the student will conduct an assessment with Auditory Brainstem Response Testing. (If this testing is not done at the particular site – arranging for a guided observation at another site is greatly appreciated.)
- The student will be able to interpret the test battery and relate the type degree and configuration of the hearing assessment results.
- The student will gain knowledge of making appropriate recommendations based on the assessment results
- The student will learn to convey assessment results and recommendations to the family
The student will detail assessment findings in written reports
Treatment:
- The student will develop skills in planning an appropriate treatment including hearing aid selection and programming
- The student will fit hearing aids using real ear measures
- The student will take ear impressions on cooperative school age children
- The student will conduct listening checks to hearing aids as well as electroacoustic analysis to assess hearing aid function
- The student will conduct simple hearing aid repairs ( i.e. hearing aid cleanings, retubing, replacing earhooks, battery doors)
- The student will assess when hearing equipment needs to sent out for repair
- The student will gain knowledge about connecting hearing aids to remote microphone systems and other assistive devices.
- The student will learn to troubleshoot problems with connected devices and send equipment for repair if needed.
- The student will counsel children and their families regarding the use and care of their hearing equipment.
Self-evaluation:
The student will develop self-evaluation skills, specifically in interactions with clients, and with families and other professional