The REM Audiologists in Voorhees, Evesham Township, and Philadelphia provide extensive services for children with hearing impairment and auditory processing disorders so that they can achieve their goals by maximizing their potential and demonstrating their skills and talents with the involvement and support of their families and community.
We strongly believe that
- All people can learn
- All people possess inherent worth and dignity
- Individuals are responsible for their own actions
- Learning is a life-long process
- People flourish in a safe, secure environment
- Everyone deserves the opportunity to fully develop his/her talents and potential
What is an educational audiologist?
The educational audiologist conducts preventative, diagnostic, and rehabilitative audiological services for children with hearing loss or auditory processing difficulties. Responsibilities include:
- Ensuring optimum educational readiness in preschool and school-age children with hearing loss
- Counseling for teenagers experiencing difficulty with acceptance of their hearing loss or hearing technology
- Intervention for children and young adults experiencing communication difficulties
- Intervention for children and young adults with central auditory processing disorders
- Parental and educational advocacy for technology and servicing needs Providing in-services for educational personnel including explanation of:
- Psychosocial, communicative, and academic impacts of hearing loss
- Communication strategies to maximize learning potential
- Correct use and application of hearing aids and assistive listening technology
- Counseling for parents of children with hearing loss or auditory processing deficits.
Services offered by the REM in Voorhees and Medford, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
- Routine hearing aid checks
- FM checks
- Hearing aid and FM repair and servicing
- Custom earmold/hearing aid impressions
- Aural rehabilitation for children with hearing loss or auditory processing disorders
- Deaf and hard-of-hearing advocacy
- Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) meetings
- Educator/staff in-service on assistive technology
- Educator/staff in-service on specialized needs of students with hearing impairment
- Auditory processing evaluations and parental counseling sessions
- Selection of appropriate amplification and technology for personal and academic use
- Preventative hearing protection consultations and devices
Protocol for a school in-service
- A copy of the child’s audiogram so that the teachers can understand the impact of the hearing loss on speech understanding. If aided results are available that is very helpful for understanding the hearing loss with amplification.
- Copy of sheet for daily checks of the aids and the FM system. Someone in the school should check the devices and log the status everyday.
- Provide the school with a copy of the law stating the hearing aid legal responsibilities
- Make sure the teacher has a battery checker, listening set, and batteries for the year.
- Make sure child has an updated audiogram (annually or every 6 months)
- Classroom sound level measurements
- Consider hush-ups on bottoms of chair legs in all classrooms
Hearing aids – legal responsibilities: NJ administrative code title 6A education
6A:14-1.3: Appendix F: “Assistive technology device” is defined in accordance with the definition of the term set forth in IDEA and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. 300.1 et seq. as amended and supplemented, incorporated by reference herein and reproduced at chapter Appendix F.
“Assistive technology service” is defined in accordance with the definition of the term set forth in IDEA and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. 300.1 et seq. as amended and supplemented, incorporated by reference herein and reproduced at chapter
Appendix G.
IDEA makes a special effort to ensure that educational agencies keep hearing aids/assistive listening devices within school in proper working order. Section 300.303 requires that, “Each public agency shall ensure that the hearing aids worn in school by children with hearing impairments, including deafness, are functioning properly.” See Appendix F and G on regulations about assistive listening devices.
For cochlear implants, teachers and related services providers can be taught to check the externally worn speech processor to make sure it is turned on, the volume and sensitivity settings are correct, and the cable is connected, in much the same manner as they are taught to make sure a hearing aid is properly functioning.
Since hearing aids/assistive listening devices are worn daily, they are to be checked daily and results must be documented and maintained in a folder. Both personal aids and FM systems must be checked. Extra batteries for the personal hearing aids should be available for the child.
To allow a child to sit in a classroom when the child’s hearing aid or cochlear implant is not functioning is to effectively exclude the child from receiving an appropriate education (Federal Register –p46571)