The Compelling Need for Pediatric Audiology Training Emphasizing Family-Centered Care, Leadership Skills, and Interdisciplinary Collaboration
June 1, 2010
Timely and appropriate follow-up after failure to pass newborn hearing screening greatly improves the lives of children with hearing loss and their families. However, state hearing screening program leaders consistently express a clear and urgent national need for more pediatric audiologists to provide this vital service. The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) program, a national training program for allied health professionals, provides specialized training in pediatric audiology. The LEND program focuses on families being involved in all aspects of training and clinical work. Moreover, the audiology trainees gain the complete LEND experience, in that they are truly becoming leaders. Leadership is an essential skill not only for clinical work, but to help the discipline of pediatric audiology evolve. Programs value the inclusion of non-audiology LEND trainees in audiology activities. Furthermore, pediatric audiology trainee involvement in interdisciplinary work to provide comprehensive care to children and their families is a priority. The main objective of this presentation is to raise issues on the key aspects of pediatric audiology training programs emphasizing family-centered care, leadership skills, and interdisciplinary work. The presentation will provide different perspectives on these issues as well as an interactive component to engage the participants. The need for national workforce development, including progress and barriers, will be discussed to provide a broad view of the issue. Overall outcomes and key training components from nine LEND pediatric audiology training programs will be presented. Lastly, specific examples of LEND training and implications for other training programs will be discussed. By the end of the presentation participants will have enhanced knowledge and increased awareness of issues related to pediatric audiology training.
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