The sense of hearing is very important in our need and ability to communicate with others, and for our safety. An audiologist describes features of the role of an audiologist and outlines training routes. Understanding how the ear works is the starting point, followed by basic details of some causes of hearing problems and management options for…

Music education is being explored by researchers as a means of improving hearing acuity for children with hearing loss, particularly those with cochlear implants. Music educators are uniquely positioned to contribute to this important endeavor. This article describes normal and impaired hearing and how music perception is affected for students…

As children are receiving cochlear implants at younger ages, benchmarks in speech, language, and auditory development can assist auditory-verbal therapists in setting expectation levels. Therapists can then counsel parents who often inquire how their children are progressing compared to peers with the same amount of listening experience. This…

"We wish we had that option in our area." "Wish we lived closer." "I wish I would have known." These statements, made by parents of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, illustrate a frustrating reality for many families--a lack of access to qualified professionals and specialized services to help children with…

According to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, between eight and nine million people suffer from some form of deafness or loss of hearing. Modern technology, however, together with the work of audiologists such as Karen Shepherd, enables many adults and children to recover near-normal levels of hearing, even when they have suffered some…