Hearing Impairment: the Hidden Barrier to Communication

Overview

This topic explores hearing impairments through a mixture of learning experiences including placements with Audiologists and Speech pathologists and attendance at Early Learning programmes and clinics at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. By the end of this topic, students will have knowledge about hearing assessments and the communication methods and devices available. Students will also gain an understanding of the impacts of hearing impairments for patients and their families.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Apply knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of hearing and speech to predict the hearing and speech problems from specific pathologies.
Explain the expectations for speech and language ability for patients with a hearing impairment, using a hearing aid.
Describe the strategies that a health professional can utilise for communication with a person with hearing impairment or speech and language difficulties.
Demonstrate how understanding issues relating to hearing impairment informs professional practice.

Teaching and Learning

The format is a mixture of online lectures and learning, clinical placements at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (in East Melbourne), and several days of in person placements at Hearing Australia and at Early Learning Programmes (Hearing Australia Centres are located throughout metropolitan and rural areas and the Early Learning Programmes are in Sunshine North and Blackburn). For rural students, the placements will be in their hospital and in their town (there may be the opportunity to attend clinics and other placements in Melbourne if needed).

In the four-week block there is a morning of lectures each week, and it is expected that all students will attend these synchronously.

Hearing Impairment: the Hidden Barrier to Communication