Audiology Services

Advanced Audiology Services in Central Massachusetts and Beyond

Hearing loss and other ear-related problems can affect your ability to engage in and enjoy daily life. At UMass Memorial Health, our compassionate, highly skilled team of audiologists expertly addresses all types of hearing and balance disorders. We offer advanced hearing tests and a range of therapies for children and adults.

What Is an Audiologist?

Audiologists have completed doctorate or master’s degrees in audiology. These high levels of education mean they have the expertise to diagnose and treat hearing and balance disorders in people of all ages.

Audiologists at UMass Memorial have national certifications from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) or the American Board of Audiology®. These nationally recognized certifications reflect our specialized knowledge and skills in the field of audiology.

An audiologist differs from a hearing aid specialist. An audiologist  undergoes advanced education and training  They can diagnose hearing disorders, hearing loss or other conditions. A hearing aid specialist can test for, select and fit hearing support devices.

Audiology Services We Provide

Our audiologists use the latest, most advanced technology to diagnose and manage hearing and balance problems in children and adults. Our audiology services include:

• Diagnostic Audiology Program
• Hearing tests  
• Hearing Aid Program
• Hearing Implant Program

Pediatric Audiology Services We Provide

Hearing problems in children can affect their ability to talk, learn and interact with others. They can also contribute to behavioral issues. Diagnosing hearing problems in children requires specialized skills.

Your child receives hearing loss services through our Audiology Program and our ear, nose and throat (ENT) services at Children’s Medical Center. Our audiologists know how to keep your child comfortable and engaged during testing. We also offer sedated hearing tests for infants and children when appropriate.

Our pediatric audiology services include:

• Comprehensive hearing tests, including newborn hearing tests
• Follow-up sessions and counseling for families
• Hearing aid fittings and hearing implant services
• Our Hearing Implant Program, including cochlear implant services
• Help with assistive listening devices
• Testing and treatments for central auditory processing disorder (CAPD)

Help for Children With Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)

Children with central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) have difficulty processing or making sense of the sounds they hear. Background noises can cause a child with CAPD to hear slightly different sounds or words. As many as 5% of school-age children may have CAPD.

CAPD testing 

Your child undergoes advanced CAPD testing from audiologists who make the process as quick, easy and fun as possible.

Testing for CAPD includes: 

• Comprehensive hearing test to rule out hearing loss as a cause of listening difficulties
• Auditory processing evaluation to assess your child’s ability to detect high or low sounds (pitch) and process sounds while exposed to background noise

CAPD treatments

Treating CAPD requires a team approach. Our audiologists may partner with speech-language therapists to help your child improve their auditory processing skills. Your child may also benefit from assistive listening devices that help them hear sounds better over background noise.