Pediatric Audiologist Job Description

Just like many jobs in the health care sector, there are several specializations in career opportunities of the medical field. One of such specializations is that of a pediatric audiologist.

As the name suggests, you can get an idea that a pediatric audiologist is a clinical professional who is an expert in finding out and dealing with hearing and speech problems in children. This career being concerned with a specialization, does attract a significant amount of salary.

A pediatric audiologist is a medical care personnel who has a strong emphasis on diagnosing and treating hearing complications in children. These experts not only deal in hearing issues but also speech problems, as such problems are generally a result of hearing dysfunctions.

In order to treat and cure the said problems, these professionals coordinate work with other people in the medical field, such as pediatricians and speech pathologists, and even school educators if required. Some are even licensed to carry out implantation of hearing aids on children, to improve hearing.

They study hearing problems and find out its extent and type, and take necessary action for devising a treatment course. This is complemented by conducting audiometric diagnostic assessments.

They also carry out neurophysiologic hearing tests, in order to find out the proper functioning of hearing nerve impulses to the brain. For certain cases, they might need to work with speech pathologists too, to gain understanding about speech-related problems.

These professionals also devise, implement, and modify auditory rehabilitation courses. They may even have to work with sign language educators to aid kids in sign language communication. A pediatric audiologist has to discuss with parents regarding the best and most appropriate hearing aids available in the market.

He has to educate parents and children regarding methods of improving hearing and speaking abilities. Since he may have to treat babies as well, he has to be very careful while conducting tests and administering treatments.

Apart from all clinical duties, he is also supposed to document patient details, types of tests, and the development of patients. Pediatric audiologists perform all possible tasks that are required to diagnose hearing problems in kids as early as possible, to avoid serious future disabilities.

The primary requirement to excel in this profession is to have love for children and a liking to work with them. Moreover, you should also possess a good amount of interpersonal skills to communicate problems clearly. Note that these medical specialists may or may not be doctors.

You can even become one with just a master's degree in the field. A master's degree in audiology is the standard requirement, but a PhD in Audiology (AuD) is highly recommended for excellence in this career.

In addition, a prospective pediatric audiologist should also get through the state's licensing exam and obtain credentials such as Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) or Pediatric Audiology Specialty Certification (PASC).

As per salary surveys, it has been reported that this profession enjoys a yearly salary of $70,000 on an average. Freshers in this audiology field can expect a decent pay range of around $50,000 to $60,000 on a yearly basis.

However, on the other side, those possessing an extensive experience of over 20 years, can demand anywhere up to $90,000 if not more. The pay range varies according to many other determining factors, such as the state and city of employment, kind of employer, and most importantly, the type of medical facility.

This is some important information on the pediatric audiologist job description, salary details, and the job requirements. The job of these professionals is a serious one as they help find out if children have hearing issues at an early stage, which can successfully be treated before adulthood.

Many of the duties are the same as a typical audiologist; with a difference being the patients are babies and children.

For more details about this career, you can refer to professional associations such as the American Academy of Audiology, Audiology Foundation of America, American Board of Audiology, Academy of Doctors of Audiology, and National Association of Future Doctors of Audiology.