Audiologist Vs. Despenser
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What is an Audiologist?
An Audiologist is a person
who has graduated from an accredited college or university with a
masters or doctorate degree in the field of Audiology. They typically
have the credentials of MS, AuD, CCC-A, or F-AAA. The training for an
Audiologist consists of not only hearing aid selection and fitting but
also in detail study of the ear and its function. Many audiologist are
trained to test and treat people with balance
problems. All Audiologist are required to have many hours of hands on
training prior to completing their degree. As members of American
Speech and Hearing Association and the American Academy of Audiology we
are bound by a code of ethics, and are required to maintain a high
level of professionalism by meeting the standards set by these national
organizations.
What is a Dispenser?
Everyone who sells hearing aids must be licensed. Some hearing aid retailers
are dispensers. These are people who have been sponsored and trained
by someone in the field to sell hearing aids. In Idaho and most
states the dispenser has to pass a written and oral exam in order to
receive their dispensing license. They usually have the credentials
Hearing Instrument Specialist or BC-HIS if they have passed the
national exam.
Purchasing a hearing aid is the easy part. Finding a trustworthy, knowledgeable person to maintain your hearing aid is the difficult part. You need to know who you are working with.
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