Pediatric Audiologist Job Description

Pediatric Audiologist Job Profile and Description

Pediatric Audiologists are not always doctors but are healthcare professionals who specialize in diagnosing and treating children suffering from hearing disability.  Speech disability is also treated as this impairment is almost always the result of hearing dysfunctions. They collaborate with school educators, pediatricians and speech pathologists in helping children overcome their aural, balancing and speaking infirmities. Many are licensed to prescribe use of or perform implantation of hearing aids.

Pediatric Audiologist Duties and Responsibilities

• Diagnose and confirm haring impairment in children, determining the nature and extent of the problem to provide the basis for developing a treatment course.
• Perform neurophysiologic hearing tests to check health of hearing nerve impulses reaching the brain.
• Prescribe or administer audiometric diagnostic tests in evaluating the type and severity of hearing disorder.
• Collaborate with speech pathologists when treating speech disorders.
• Confer with specialist physicians in the physiological treatment of hearing dysfunction.
• Design, develop and implement auditory rehabilitation programs,
• Confer with sign language educators in helping children with hearing difficulties to communicate effectively.
• Recommend the most suitable hearing aid technology available in the market.
• Keep abreast with emerging development in the field.

Pediatric Audiologist Skills and Specifications

• Must have high level of tolerance, patience and love for children
• Must have excellent communication, interpersonal skills to deal with patients

Pediatric Audiologist Education and Qualifications

• A master’s degree is audiology is basic but a PhD in Audiology (AuD) is widely preferred.
• Must pass state licensing and obtain a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) or credentialed by the American Board of Audiology
• Hearing Aid Dispenser License required if treating patients with hearing aid implantation.

Pediatric Audiologist Salary

The median annual salary of Pediatric Audiologists in 2008 stood at $62,100 with the middles 10% earning between $50,500 and $78,400. The lowest 10% earned about $40,400 while the highest 10% earned around $98,900.