Children can only develop spoken language through consistent exposure to the acoustic cues that comprise speech and language. Until recently, hearing levels from the clinical audiogram were the primary measure used to define typical hearing and the presence or degree of a child's hearing loss. While the clinical audiogram remains an important…

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…

Purpose: This tutorial reviews the complexity of issues and definitions around topics of diversity. The impact of diversity and cultural responsiveness are presented in the context of ethics in the practice of speech-language pathology, audiology, and speech-language-hearing-swallowing sciences. Method: Concepts discussed include culture, cultural…

Audacity is a multi-platform free, open-source audio recorder and editor software. The advantage of Audacity software is as follows: easy installation and simple visual interface, no registrations or hardware requirements, and availability at no cost might make it a preferred software to carry out class demonstrations and lab activities for an…

This article introduces this timely special issue on "Beyond Cultural Competence: Addressing racism, equity and inclusion," and provides information on how this issue was conceptualized. The editors reflect on the critical importance of equity and inclusion work in speech-language pathology and audiology in order to address structural…

Jordan has been one of the leading Arab countries in establishing academic programs in the field of speech-language pathology (SLP) in the Arab region. The first master's program was established at the University of Jordan in 1992 in Amman. The first bachelor's program in SLP was established in 1992 at the private Applied Sciences University in…

This article is a genuine contribution between an undergraduate student (Jennifer Zicka) and her mentor (Dr. Roger Reeb). Jennifer made unique contributions to an ongoing project that empowers and supports guests at homeless shelters as they strive to overcome personal challenges and obstacles related to homelessness. After a brief description of…

Chicago Public Schools (CPS), like most large urban school districts, has been confronted in recent years with challenges related to inequity. In May of 2018, CPS posted an open position for a chief equity officer with the goal to create an office that will address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion for staff and students leading to…

Effective teaching strategies to modify classroom instruction for students who are deaf or hard of hearing are presented. The authors share principles that guide these instructional strategies and complement current pedagogy. Examples of applying instructional modifications using real classroom scenarios are included under each principle.

Hearing is at the heart of language development and school readiness; increasing numbers of Early Head Start programs have come to rely on otoacoustic emissions (OAE) technology to screen all infants and toddlers for hearing loss. Successful identification of hearing health needs is dependent not only on an appropriate screening method, but also…

Listening and spoken language (LSL) intervention and education have emerged as the preferred terms representing an intervention perspective that promotes "auditory oral" outcomes for many of today's children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH), including those who are English learners. Practitioners (including speech-language…

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), as defined by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), refers to difficulties in the perceptual processing of auditory information in the central nervous system and the neurobiological activity that underlies that processing and gives rise to electrophysiologic auditory potentials (ASHA,…

General education and special education teachers may have limited experience working with students who are deaf/hard of hearing and be unaware of the professionals and specialist who may work with those students. When a student has a hearing loss, there are a variety of additional professionals with whom teachers must collaborate. The roles of…

In most classrooms, where information is presented orally via spoken language, accurate knowledge of a student's hearing status is crucial so that the interdisciplinary team can ensure appropriate service provision. Audiologists play a key role on the interdisciplinary team to provide other professionals with information about children's hearing…

The purpose of this article is to share a multicultural experience that took place in Guangzhou, China. The authors of this article joined a group of speech-language pathologists and audiologists to provide a training program for teachers and special education teachers in Guangzhou. It is our hope that this life changing experience will spark…