Description:
Assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. May fit hearing aids and provide auditory training. May perform research related to hearing problems.
Tasks
- Evaluate hearing and speech/language disorders to determine diagnoses and courses of treatment.
- Administer hearing or speech/language evaluations, tests, or examinations to patients to collect information on type and degree of impairment, using specialized instruments and electronic equipment.
- Fit and dispense assistive devices, such as hearing aids.
- Maintain client records at all stages, including initial evaluation and discharge.
- Refer clients to additional medical or educational services if needed.
- Counsel and instruct clients in techniques to improve hearing or speech impairment, including sign language or lip-reading.
- Monitor clients' progress and discharge them from treatment when goals have been attained.
- Plan and conduct treatment programs for clients' hearing or speech problems, consulting with physicians, nurses, psychologists, and other health care personnel as necessary.
- Recommend assistive devices according to clients' needs or nature of impairments.
- Participate in conferences or training to update or share knowledge of new hearing or speech disorder treatment methods or technologies.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Clerical
- Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Skills
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension
- The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression
- The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Speech Clarity
- The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition
- The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Problem Sensitivity
- The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Written Comprehension
- The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression
- The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Inductive Reasoning
- The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Deductive Reasoning
- The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Information Ordering
- The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Work Activities
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
- Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Getting Information
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
- Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Interacting With Computers
- Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Work Context
- Telephone
- How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
- Face-to-Face Discussions
- How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
- Contact With Others
- How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
- Structured versus Unstructured Work
- To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
- Deal With External Customers
- How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
- Letters and Memos
- How often does the job require written letters and memos?
- Frequency of Decision Making
- How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Interests
- Investigative
- Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Social
- Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Conventional
- Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Realistic
- Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Artistic
- Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
- Enterprising
- Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Work Style
- Integrity
- Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Concern for Others
- Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Dependability
- Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Self Control
- Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Attention to Detail
- Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Cooperation
- Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Stress Tolerance
- Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
- Initiative
- Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Independence
- Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Adaptability/Flexibility
- Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Work Value
- Relationships
- Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Achievement
- Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Working Conditions
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
- Recognition
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
- Support
- Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Independence
- Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Related Occupations
- Health Educators
- Occupational Therapists
- Physical Therapists
- Recreational Therapists
- Respiratory Therapists
Common Lay Titles
- Audiologist
- Audiology Director
- Audiology Doctor (AUD)
- Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology Licensed Audiologist (CCC-A Licensed Audiologist)
- Clinical Audiologist
- Clinical Director
- Dispensing Audiologist
- Educational Audiologist
- Hearing Instrument Specialist
- Hearing Therapist
- Industrial Audiologist
- Infant Hearing Screening Manager
- Newborn Hearing Screening Program Coordinator
- Occupational Audiologist
- Pediatric Audiologist
- Pediatric Cochlear Implant Audiologist
- Speech and Hearing Clinic Director
- Speech Language Pathologist