Aural Rehabilitation

At the end of the course, the students should be able to: 1. define the difference between disorder, impairment, disability and handicap; 2. demonstrate the use of different self-assessment inventories on hearing impairment; 3. describe various rehabilitative strategies such as hearing aid selection and fitting, counselling, total communication, assistive listening devices (ALDs) in managing hearing impairment in adult, aged, and children; 4. demonstrate the various methods and strategies of aural rehabilitation in the clinic; 5. list and describe different types of hearing aids; 6. explain the history of hearing aids and its evolution till date; 7. explain the importance of ear moulds in the hearing aid re(habilitation) process; 8. explain the process and importance of hearing aid verification and validation; 9. discuss other available options such as medical/surgical management in auditory rehabilitation; and 10. explain the significance of non-electroacoustic hearing devices like assistive listening devices ALDs.

Technical terminology-W.H.O definitions (Disorder, Impairment, Disability and Handicap), Self- Assessment inventories of hearing loss/impairment such as quantified Denver scale (QDS), self- assessment of communication (SAC), hearing handicap index (HHI), significant others assessment of communication (SOAC), hearing aid performance inventory, client oriented scale of improvement (COSI) and social hearing handicap scale (SHHS). Audiological habilitation and rehabilitation of children with hearing loss (family/client centred management, special challenges in habilitation of children, consequences of habilitation in children, educational and social impact of unilateral (one-sided) hearing loss and rehabilitation, adults hearing aid rehabilitation. Special challenges in rehabilitation of elderly adults. Group and individual rehabilitation. Relationship between auditory, neurological, speech and occupational rehabilitation.