AGBell - Utah Chapter Home Page

Many different people will be involved in helping you with the medical needs of your hearing-impaired child. We hope to help you understand who the players are and what their role will be. While this page is limited to the medical players, there are other players that you'll begin to work with, as you

Primary Care Provider (Family Practitioner, Pediatrician, etc)
Whether you or your doctor first noticed hints of a hearing impairment, or those hints came out through a standard checkup, your primary care provider is generally the first medical professional involved, and gets the ball rolling. Usually, he'll refer you to an ENT specialist for further tests. The Primary Care Provider will continue to be involved. He will order future tests, as necessary, such as MRI, CAT scans, and be the one that reviews these tests with you. He'll also keep an eye on your other children, knowing that you already have one child with a hearing loss, in case the hearing loss is hereditary.

ENT Specialist
This is a doctor who specializes in Ear, Nose, and Throat issues. He or she has special instruments to perform a variety of tests. Often, these tests result in "tubes" inserted in the ears to drain fluid. However, the tests could show a hearing loss, or warrant more tests, often at a hospital (especially with children). Once the hearing loss is diagnosed, and it is determined that your child needs hearing aids, the ENT Specialist will need to write a special kind of prescription - a medical clearance allowing your child to wear hearing aids. From this point on, without future ear problems, you will visit the ENT fairly infrequently.

Audiologist
This will be your best friend !!! The Audiologist is a scientist, not a medical doctor. He or she will play many roles.

Additional Tests. If you need an ABR to determine the hearing loss (referred by the ENT), he will perform this test (with the assistance of a pediatric nurse, since your child will be sedated).

He will take casts for earmolds.

Hearing Aid Dispenser
Or, is This your new best friend?