Speech, Language, and Hearing Service Providers, also known as audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs), specialize in assessing, diagnosing, and treating communication disorders and swallowing problems in children and adults.
They work in various settings, including hospitals, schools, private practices, and university clinics, offering services such as hearing aid fittings, swallowing therapy, speech therapy, and language development programs.
Audiology Services: Hearing tests, hearing aid evaluations, and fitting of hearing aids and assistive listening devices.
Speech-Language Services: Therapy for speech sound disorders, language impairments, voice problems, and cognitive-communication issues.
Swallowing Therapy (Dysphagia): Treatment for difficulty swallowing, which can occur due to illness, injury, or neurological conditions.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Support for individuals who use other methods to communicate.
Audiologists
Healthcare Taxonomy Code 231H00000X
A specialist in the evaluation, habilitation, and rehabilitation of those whose communication disorders center in whole or in part on hearing function. Audiologists are autonomous professionals who identify, assess, and manage disorders of the auditory, balance, and other neural systems.
Audiologists provide audiological (aural) rehabilitation to children and adults across the entire age span.
Audiologists select, fit, and dispense amplification systems such as hearing aids and related devices.
An audiologist is a person qualified by a master’s degree in audiology, licensed by the state, where applicable, and practicing within the scope of that license. Audiologists evaluate and treat patients with impaired hearing.
They plan, direct, and conduct rehabilitative programs with auditory substitutional devices (hearing aids) and other therapies.
Audiologist-Hearing Aid Fitters
Healthcare Taxonomy Code 237600000X
An audiologist/hearing aid fitter is the professional who specializes in evaluating and treating people with hearing loss, conducts a wide variety of tests to determine the exact nature of an individual’s hearing problem, presents a variety of treatment options to patients, dispenses and fits hearing aids, administers tests of balance to evaluate dizziness, and provides hearing rehabilitation training.
This classification should be used where individuals are licensed as “audiologist-hearing aid fitters,” as opposed to states that license individuals as “audiologists.”
Hearing Instrument Specialists
Healthcare Taxonomy Code 237700000X
Individuals who test hearing for the selection, adaptation, fitting, adjusting, servicing, and sale of hearing aids.
Hearing Instrument Specialist is a designation provided to individuals who qualify by the National Hearing Aid Society.
Speech-Language Pathologists
Healthcare Taxonomy Code 235Z00000X
The speech-language pathologist is a professional who engages in clinical services, prevention, advocacy, education, administration, and research in the areas of communication and swallowing across the lifespan, from infancy through geriatrics.
Speech-language pathologists address typical and atypical impairments and disorders related to communication and swallowing in the areas of speech sound production, resonance, voice, fluency, language (comprehension and expression), cognition, and feeding and swallowing.
Speech/Language/Hearing Specialist/Technologists
Healthcare Taxonomy Code 235500000X
General classification identifies individuals who are trained on a specific piece of equipment or technical procedure.