Audiologist vs. Hearing Aid Dispenser
What is the difference between an Audiologist and a Hearing Aid Dispenser?
There has been a lot of consumer confusion over professional roles in the diagnosing and treatment of hearing loss. It is still common today for someone to get screened, tested, or fitted with a hearing aid by someone and still not know what qualifications that person had. How do you know who you can trust? An important distinction to understand when treating your hearing loss is the difference between an Audiologist and a hearing aid dispenser. An Audiologist is a degreed professional who is extensively trained in the science of hearing; while a hearing aid dispenser applies for a license after meeting some basic requirements.
An Audiologist is trained to diagnose, treat and monitor disorders of the hearing and balance system. They are trained in anatomy and physiology, amplification devices, cochlear Implants, electrophysiology, acoustics, psychophysics and auditory rehabilitation. Doctors of Audiology complete, at a minimum, an undergraduate and doctoral level degree in audiology, as well as a supervised externship prior to state licensure and national certification. This usually requires 8 years of post-secondary education (4 years of college and 4 years of graduate school). The graduate school years focus on the medical, diagnostic and rehabilitative aspects of hearing loss, hearing aids and the vestibular system. Upon completion of training, Audiologists must also pass a national standardized examination in order to be eligible for state licensure. Continuing education requirements must be met in order for an Audiologist to maintain state licensure.
A hearing aid dispenser is licensed to perform audiometric testing for the sole purpose of selling and fitting hearing aids. In order to obtain a license, hearing aid dispensers are required to pass an exam. Prior to taking the exam, certain requirements must be met, which vary from state to state. In many states, hearing aid dispensers are only required to have a high school diploma. In other states, hearing aid dispensers must complete two years of college or post-secondary education in any field prior to applying for licensure. Some states require completion of distance learning coursework prior to taking the exam.
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That’s interesting that an audiologist has to have 8 years of post-secondary education in order to treat and monitor disorders in hearing and in the balance system. My aunt has been having troubles lately with balance so we have to watch her and make sure she doesn’t fall over. We’ll have to see if we can find an audiologist we can take her to and get her an exam to see if there’s a disorder in her balance system.
ReplyThank you for explaining how much education each audiologist must go through. I never knew that it was that extensive, but it’s nice to know that they have the knowledge to back up their findings. My friend has been needing to see an audiologist for a while and I think that knowing some of this will help her to take the leap to go.
ReplyI didn’t know that audiologists are required to have 8 years of post-secondary education in order to practice. Working with an audiologist is a great way to tell if you or a loved one has a hearing disorder. If I experienced hearing problems from an unknown source, I would be sure to locate the best audiologist in my area.
ReplyMy father is losing his hearing in the upper registers, which makes talking to my mother a lot more difficult for him. She would like him to get some hearing aids fitted so they can have conversations more easily. Your information that a Doctor of Audiology holds national certification makes me want to find an audiologist to provide the hearing aids.
ReplyThat is really nice that an audiologist is a professional who knows the science of hearing. That is someone I would want to go see if I were experiencing hearing issues. It would be good to know where I could go in case I was to ever experience hearing issues.
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