ABSTRACT
Audiology, an autonomous profession that encompasses both health care and educational professional areas of practice, is involved with the study of hearing and balance and their related disorders. The audiologist is the independent hearing health care professional who provides comprehensive diagnostic and habilitative/rehabilitative services for all areas of auditory, vestibular, and related disorders. These services are provided to individuals across the entire age span from birth to adulthood, which is in concert with the goals of a life care plan; to individuals from diverse language, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; and to individuals who have multiple disabilities (ASHA, Spring 1996). Within life care planning, the audiologist should be involved in pediatric and adult rehabilitation efforts when clients experience decreased hearing sensitivity, auditory processing problems, auditory neuropathy (auditory dys-synchrony), or balance problems. Clients may experience auditory deficits, due to genetic or natural aging factors, ear disease, brain injury, auditory processing dysfunction, environmental noise exposure, or reactions to medications that are ototoxic or vestibulotoxic.
