About the Professions

Audiologists

Audiologists are healthcare professionals who evaluate and treat hearing and balance disorders. They measure hearing ability, diagnose hearing loss and provide rehabilitative services, including fitting and managing hearing aids and other amplification devices. They also offer training in communication strategies, such as speech-reading, and advise individuals, organizations, and government agencies on preventing noise-induced and environmental hearing loss.

Speech-Language Pathologists

Speech-Language Pathologists help those who stutter to increase their fluency; help people who have had strokes or experienced brain trauma to regain lost language and speech; help children and adolescents who have language disorders to understand and give directions, ask and answer questions, convey ideas, improve the language skills that lead to better academic performance; counsel individuals and families to understand and deal with speech and language disorders.

Speech, Language and Hearing Scientists

Speech, Language and Hearing Scientists investigate the complex processes underlying human communication, explore the impact of psychological, social and psychophysiological factors on communication; they collaborate with experts in other fields to develop new approaches to treating those with speech, language and hearing disorders.