Audiology Assistant Certification
Audiology Assistant Certification
If you want to work in the field of audiology, it’s important to understand the role an audiology assistant plays. These professionals are crucial to helping people with hearing and balance issues receive treatment. An audiologic assistant helps with a number of tasks, such as performing hearing tests and evaluating patients’ reactions, as well as assisting doctors with surgery procedures. Since hearing loss can affect anyone at any age, there’s always a need for qualified audiologic assistants who can provide this vital service.
Audiology Assistant Certification
Where do audiology assistants work?
Audiology assistants work in the field of audiology, which is the study of hearing and balance. They are trained to perform a variety of tasks that include taking medical histories, making impressions for ear molds using gelatin or other materials (this process is called audiometric testing), administering hearing tests, describing test results to patients and helping them choose hearing devices. Audiology assistants may also perform some administrative duties such as scheduling appointments with doctors or keeping records on patients’ hearing loss.
What certification do I need?
In most states across America, there are no specific requirements for becoming an audiologist assistant besides having at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent. However, if you want to work as an audiologist assistant in a state where licensure is required (such as California), then you must complete an accredited training program and pass both written and practical exams through either the American Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (ABC) or National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC).
What is an audiology assistant?
The audiology assistant is a person who helps a certified audiologist with the duties of an audiology practice. The duties vary depending on the size and scope of the practice, but they generally include assisting with hearing tests and hearing aid fittings. As long as they have completed their training and certification, they are not considered medical professionals.
Obtaining an Associate’s Degree in Audiology
The associate’s degree is the minimum requirement to become an audiology assistant. An associate’s degree in audiology can be obtained within two years at a community college or four-year university. The program will consist of courses such as anatomy, physiology, and basic sciences that are foundational for your pursuit of a career as an audiologist assistant. It may also include classes in physics, psychology and speech pathology that broaden your knowledge base and prepare you for working with patients with hearing loss.
Once you have obtained your associate’s degree, it is up to you whether or not you want to continue on with a bachelor’s degree or other advanced degrees such as master’s or doctorate programs. You might decide that one or two more years would help prepare you further; however, many students stop at this point because they already have everything they need to begin working in their desired field after graduation.
Audiology Assistant Job Description
As an audiology assistant, you’ll be responsible for helping audiologists with the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss. This involves conducting hearing tests to determine if a patient has any difficulties in the ear and performing hearing aid fittings when appropriate. You may also provide hearing rehabilitation services, such as providing education on how to select and care for a hearing aid or repair damaged equipment. Some audiology assistants may also provide referral services that help people find other professionals who can assist them with their specific needs or issues.
Audiology Assistant Training and Licensure
Training for an audiology assistant varies by state. Some states require the completion of a training program that has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Other states allow for alternative certification, such as passing an exam.
Training programs typically include both in-person and online classes, with coursework covering topics such as anatomy, hearing loss and its effects on communication skills, basic audiology procedures and equipment used in an office setting.
You should ask your state about what kinds of audiology assistants are available.
For those interested in pursuing the field, it is important to know that there are two different types of audiology assistants. The first is a certified audiologist assistant (CAA), who has completed a program accredited through either the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) or the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA). These programs are designed to prepare students for careers as professional audiologists.
The second type of audiology assistant is a certified medical technologist/registered medical assistant (CMTA). This certification gives you basic knowledge about hearing instruments and provides some training on how to take care of them and fit them properly onto patients’ ears. However, this type of training does not provide much insight into how hearing works or how best to treat patients with hearing loss.
If you are interested in becoming an audiology assistant, you should contact your state’s Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. The board can tell you about the certification requirements and how to become certified.