CEU Courses

The purpose of this course is to discuss recent research on hearing aids and how their benefits might be realized in real world situations. Several research articles will be discussed in depth, focusing on the study rationale, methodology, results, and clinical implications.

This course examines the impact of hearing treatment in adults on aspects of overall health and well-being, with a particular focus on adults with hearing loss who are at risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Through this course, we will illuminate the role of cognitive screening in audiology clinical practice and the ways in which cognitive screening can aid in clinical decision making and the treatment and rehabilitation process.

This two-part online series will emphasize the key role of parents in fostering language in children who are deaf and hearing. With the implementation of newborn hearing screening and accepted practice that state early intervention agencies complete diagnosis and initiate services (including fitting amplification) for children with congenital hearing loss by six months of age, we now recognize the “power of parents.” The role of professionals has shifted from professionals working with the child to supporting the entire family unit in utilizing the language of the home and heart—whether that language is English, Spanish, ASL or another. These two sessions will explore how to fully support parents in language learning for their children with hearing loss.

This course covers best practices for evaluating adult cochlear implant (CI) single-sided deafness (SSD) candidates, including the insurance elements that need to be considered with this population. Additionally, the outcomes and benefits of the technology with this population are discussed.

The Minimum Speech Test Battery (MSTB) for adults was first introduced in 1996 and first updated in 2011. Both versions of the MSTB have been widely used by clinicians to evaluate cochlear implant candidacy and to post-operatively evaluate performance. After an extensive review with a panel of experts, the MSTB – Revision 3 is now available. This course provides an overview of the current evidence-based best practice guidelines and case studies to demonstrate clinical application.

This course focuses on referral, candidacy, and the evaluation process for cochlear implantation (CI) in children with single-sided deafness (SSD). Expected outcomes and factors that could influence performance in this population are discussed.

This course utilizes a case-history format to educate attendees on evaluating and managing patients presenting with facial nerve paralysis. Considerations for audiological assessment will be reviewed.

Permanent hearing loss affects 2-3 per 1,000 newborns. When not identified early in life, children who are deaf or hard of hearing lag behind their peers in language, social, and cognitive development, fail more frequently in school, and have difficulty being successfully employed. Family engagement has been critical in the development of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) that have made it possible for most children who are deaf or hard of hearing to develop similarly to their peers with typical hearing. However, a number of challenges and opportunities for improvement remain. This presentation summarizes the history of newborn hearing screening, describes the current status, and discusses some of the important challenges and emerging issues that could be addressed to further improve early identification of childhood hearing loss. Lessons learned over the past decades, recent advances based on research and policy initiatives, and the crucial role of families will be used to highlight how various stakeholders (e.g., health care providers, public health officials, parents, and educators) can continue to improve outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

This course explores the VA’s implementation of Teleaudiology technologies such as VA Video Connect (VVC), remote programming, Automated Method for Testing Auditory Sensitivity (AMTAS), and Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations (ATLAS). Strategies for managing a virtual workforce and clinical flow using such technologies are explored.

In this session, Dr. Dana Suskind discusses how artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other emerging technologies can be used to better understand and, thus, optimize the role that parents play in promoting early language and cognitive development in children with hearing loss and children with typical hearing. Dr. Suskind covers the existing literature on foundational brain development and language skill acquisition, with an emphasis on the crucial role that parents and caregivers play in this process. She also identifies gaps in our collective knowledge on this topic and explains how technology can help fill those gaps. Finally, she shares several examples of tools being developed at the University of Chicago's TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health that will help individual parents boost their children’s foundational development—and also allow society to better support all parents in this essential task.