CASE AUDIOLOGY
About CASE Audiology
Hearing problems are common among children. Research has indicated that even a very mild hearing loss or fluctuating hearing can interfere with a child’s ability to learn. Local schools have responded to this need by providing audiological diagnostic services through CASE Audiology at no direct cost to the child’s family.
CASE Audiology is a cooperative program among all school districts in Champaign, southern Iroquois, and Ford counties. Any child in this area is eligible for a hearing evaluation from birth through graduation from high school.
WHY CASE AUDIOLOGY
- No direct charge to families : We also have an open referral policy so families can directly contact us to make
an appointment. Sometimes a school team may request testing due to other assessments they are doing. Other agencies can also make referrals. - We’re easy to get to: Located in the Champaign Early Childhood Center, there is free parking that is close to our entrance.
The testing we do focuses on the impact of hearing status on access to education. In our office and sound booth, we use age-appropriate audiological measures such as:
- Threshold audiometry
- Goal: Finding the softest level that a child can hear at different pitches using sounds like beeps or pitch-specific noise
- Depending on age, the student may wear headphones or listen through speakers
- We assess whether the hearing loss is more fluctuating, temporary or permanent
- Speech audiometry
- Goal: Finding the softest level that a child can hear and repeat back words accurately
- We want these results to be at similar levels found in threshold audiometry
- Speech perception testing
- Goal: Determining the percent accuracy that a child can hear a word or sentence and repeat
it back correctly - These tests look at how a child may function in the classroom setting with and without personal amplification, if applicable
- We test at levels and in conditions that are most like a classroom setting
- Words/sentences may be presented in a quiet setting or with competing background noise
- Goal: Determining the percent accuracy that a child can hear a word or sentence and repeat
- Tympanometry
- Goal: Check for conditions such as fluid, ear infection, wax blockages and adequate eardrum movement
- Otoscopic exam
- Goal: Visual examination of the ear and ear canal to check for possible problems.
- In addition, we can also monitor and evaluation if a student’s personal amplification (e.g., hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone anchored devices) is working properly by using specialized equipment.
Collaboration is key and we exchange information and brainstorm with students’ clinical or hospital audiologists. While they may focus on more the medical aspect of a student’s hearing loss, we focus more on the educational impact of that hearing loss.
We also do assessments and provide services outside the booth:
- Classroom observations
- Goal: See how a student is doing in the classroom, identifying possible barriers and coming up with solutions
- Functional Listening Evaluation (FLE)
- Goal: Perform specific measurements in the student’s actual classroom to see how they might function in a variety of listening situations
- Administer questionnaires
- Goal: Confirm that what we’re doing is working in the classroom
- Teacher in-services
- Goal: Educate and inform teachers on best practices for working with students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
If a student needs an enhanced auditory signal, we have dedicated systems (“Remote Microphone Systems”) that we can evaluate, fit, provide, and maintain if the student qualifies and has had a trial period.
We also work very closely with our Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Supervisor of Hearing Services, who provide services to our students in the schools. We collaborate monthly or every other month (and often in between via email) to discuss students on our caseloads to ensure that they are getting what they need in the classroom.
Audiologists:
- Carolyn Hong, AuD chong@usd116.org
- Molly Bastida, AuD, CCC-A bastidmo@u4sd.org
CASE Vision and Hearing Coordinator:
- Pam Duda, MS pduda@usd116.org
Secretary/Scheduling:
- Virginia Buler vbuler@usd116.org
Diagnostics: Complete audiological diagnostic services (e.g.., threshold testing, speech perception testing, tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions) are available as well as evaluations of hearing aids, FM systems or cochlear implants, and interpretation of testing done by outside evaluators. CASE audiologists also manage specialized amplification equipment for students with hearing impairment. Test results are shared with the parents, school and any medical provider or agency the parents would like to have notified.
Consultation: Consultation services are available to school staff and parents. Audiologists will provide information and referral for related services not provided by this office such as referral for the evaluation of hearing aids or a cochlear implant and resources for financial assistance for medical care related to hearing or the purchase of hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Inservices: Audiologists will provide services to parents, students, school personnel or community agencies concerning: hearing health care, testing procedures, amplification or other related topics. Inservices are often conducted in cooperation with local Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing or the CASE Vision and Hearing Coordinator.
Screening: Impedance screening or tympanometry is conducted in the early childhood (3-5 year olds) classrooms in the area. This test helps identify children who may have intermittent ear and hearing problems due to ear infection or middle ear fluid. It is not a direct test of hearing, but rather helps identify children who may need further audiological or medical evaluation. Mass hearing screenings are not provided by CASE, but rather by local school nurses or audiometric technicians (through the Illinois Department of Public Health). Children that fail the hearing screening provided in the school are eligible for complete diagnostic hearing testing at the CASE office.
Ear Team: The Educational & Audiological Review (EAR) Team is a joint project between itinerant Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, audiologists and the Coordinator of Educational Services for Students who Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Members collaborate to share information and expertise to ensure quality programs for students with hearing impairment. A primary goal of the EAR Team is to help minimize the impact of hearing loss, thus facilitating learning in the general education classroom.
Referrals: CASE is committed to making diagnostic services available to children based on parent or teacher concerns about the child’s hearing, and maintains an open referral policy. Children being evaluated for the possibility of other disabilities (i.e., speech/language, learning disability, attention deficit) should have a hearing evaluation to rule out hearing loss. Please feel free to call the audiologists with questions if you are unsure about referring a specific child.
Referral forms are available HERE and from your Director of Special Education or may be requested from the CASE Audiology office. After a referral is received, the CASE office will contact the family to schedule a hearing test. If the family cannot be reached by phone, they will be contacted by mail. Please be aware that attempting to schedule via the mail often delays our efforts in obtaining a hearing test. Parents bring their children to the hearing evaluation so that they may participate in the evaluation and be informed about the results.
The following is a list of behavior patterns that are often characteristic of children with unidentified hearing loss. If three or more of the behaviors are identified, a hearing test is recommended.
- Appears not to be paying attention. May seem to daydream or be withdrawn.
- Hearing inconsistently. Appears to hear some days or in some settings and not hear at other times.
- Frequently requests repetition. Asks “what?” or “huh?”
- Does not put endings on words and/or has difficulty pronouncing sounds such as “s”, “sh”, “th” and “f”.
- Has allergies, frequent colds or ear infections. Has had PE tubes placed in ears.
- Seems to be very visual and/or concentrates on people’s faces when they talk.
- Does not follow oral directions.
- Sometimes gives answers unrelated to the question asked.
- Complaints of ear pain or tugs at ears. Complaints of noise or buzzing in ears.
- Has short attention span or is easily distracted.