Aural (Re)habilitation for Hearing Loss

One of UTHSC’s clinical programs, known as Child Hearing Services (CHS), offers specialized Aural (Re)habilitation for families with children diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing as well as adults who have acquired deafness. CHS serves approximately 90 patients on a weekly basis who use cochlear implants, hearing aids, and/or bone anchored hearing devices. Odd as it may seem, CHS sees both children (birth to 21) and adults!

Children

UTHSC speech-language pathologists prioritize the Listening and Spoken Language communication approach in therapy sessions and focus on developing listening, speech, and spoken language skills.  Therapy settings include individual and small groups. There is a strong emphasis on parent guidance and maximizing a child’s communication potential, no matter what type or degree of hearing loss is present.

Adults 
When adults experience acquired deafness and elect to receive a cochlear implant, we recognize that their journey to restored hearing has just begun. Often, intense AR is required to maximize their listening and communication potential with their new device. UTHSC Speech-Language Pathologists incorporate functional treatment goals, driven specifically by the patient’s challenges in communicating at home, in social settings, and at work. The AR therapy is delivered on an individual basis, but patients are encouraged to become involved in a local AR support group.

In addition to AR services, we offer communication evaluations and pre/post-cochlear implant assessments. Our speech-language pathologists emphasize a collaborative, team-approach to serving their patients. In addition to working with in-house audiologists, we work closely with Knoxville’s implant surgeons, Dr. John Little and Dr. William Merwin, and their programming audiologists.

Meet Specialty Providers: Jestina Bunch, MA, CCC-SLP Ashley Irick, MS, CCC-SLP Emily Noss, MA, CCC-SLP Autumn Sanderson, MA, CCC-SLP