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The members of OHAA are hearing health care professionals from across the
state of Oklahoma and the surrounding states. They include Physicians,
Audiologists, and Hearing
Aid Specialists. For a better understanding of these professional groups,
please refer to the definitions below:
Medical Physicians
Physicians specializing in diseases of the ear are called "Otologists",
"Otolaryngologists" or "Otorinolaryngologists" depending
upon whether they specialize in the ear, in the ear and throat, or in the ear,
nose and throat. Otorinolaryngologists are commonly known as "ENT's"
which is an acronym for "ear, nose, throat." All of these have had
specialized residency and internship training in their respective areas. Their
practice is generally focused on diagnosing and treating medical conditions,
including surgical procedures related to the ear, nose, and throat. Rarely do
these Physicians dispense hearing aids, however, some Physicians employ a
professional dispenser to dispense hearing aids. Top
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Audiologists
An Audiologist is a health care provider who holds a Masters or Doctorate
degree in Audiology and who specializes in the habilitation/rehabilitation and
clinical evaluation of persons with auditory and vestibular impairments. The
initials CCC-A following an audiologist's name indicate that he/she has a
Certificate of Clinical Competency in Audiology awarded by the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). To receive this certificate the
audiologist must complete a 30 week clinical internship and pass a national
examination. Some services provided by an Audiologist may include any
combination of the following areas: speech reading, auditory training,
auditory and vestibular assessment, infant screening, hearing conservation,
language development, counseling and amplification. Because of the wide
diversity of training and the complexity of some of these areas most choose an
area in which to specialize. For example, many Audiologists provide only
evaluation of hearing and balance disorders, some in a clinical setting and
some in a screening environment such as schools or industrial settings where
they screen for hearing loss. Audiologists who fit hearing aids are commonly
referred to as Dispensing Audiologists. Although regulations vary from state
to state, not all Audiologists are licensed to dispense hearing aids. Most
states require Dispensing Audiologists to obtain a license to dispense hearing
aids similar to a Hearing Aid Specialist. Top
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Hearing Aid
Specialists
A Hearing Aid Specialist is a health care provider who is licensed or
registered with the state in which he/she practices. Among the requirements to
obtain a license in most states, one must first successfully pass a
comprehensive written and practical examination to verify his/her competency.
The initials BC-HIS following a Hearing Aid Specialists name indicate that
he/she is a "Board Certified - Hearing Instrument Specialist"
awarded by the National Board for Hearing Instrument Sciences. To receive this
certification, the Hearing Aid Specialist must be in the practice
of dispensing hearing aids for at least two years and successfully pass a
national competency examination. Training for the Hearing Aid Specialist is
focused on principles of acoustics, audiometric testing, anatomy of the ear,
recognition of disorders of the ear, and a thorough understanding of
electro-acoustic principles including transducer functionality, automatic
signal processors, compression circuits, digital signal processing and more.
The practice of a Hearing Aid Specialist is focused on testing and evaluation
of persons with hearing loss primarily for the purpose of selecting, adapting
and fitting of Hearing Aids and other amplification systems and the counseling
and instruction pertaining thereto. The Hearing Aid Specialist is trained to
identify specific "red flag" medical conditions that may be revealed
during the evaluation process. If one of these conditions exists, the patient
is then referred to a Physician for treatment. Additionally, the Hearing Aid
Specialist is trained to assist in modifications, maintenance of hearing aids,
and repairs. Top
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