AOTA

Presenter:

Juliana Bell, OTD, OTR/L

Acute Care Occupational Therapist

Tampa, FL

Credit: .1 AOTA CEU (1 contact hour/1.25 NBCOT PDUs)

Course Description: Approximately more than 1.5 billion people, or 20% of the world’s population, experience some degree of hearing loss.

Within the United States, approximately 40 million people over the age of 18 have difficulty hearing; this number is expected to double by the year 2060. Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition in the U.S. and is twice as prevalent as diabetes or cancer. Although typically seen as a communication disorder, hearing loss is known to have physical, psychological, emotional, and cognitive impacts on the individual.

This introductory course, geared to occupational therapy practitioners and students provides introductory information regarding hearing loss and client-centered interventions. The course provides information on the prevalence of hearing loss, the causes and types, commonly utilized devices, assistive technologies, and the functional impact of hearing loss. Best practices and strategies for communicating with clients, which allow for inclusivity and accessibility, will be covered. In addition, occupational therapy approaches and interventions for a variety of occupations will be identified.

Learning Objectives:

 Following this course, the learner will be able to:

• Recognize the common types, causes, symptoms, and prevalence of hearing loss.
• Identify the functional impact hearing loss has on adult clients.
• Recall members of the interdisciplinary team and best practices for communication with clients who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify and select client-centered interventions, approaches, and assessments appropriate to the needs of adult clients who are deaf and hard-of hearing.

Level of Difficulty: Introductory

Intended Audience: Occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students. This course is primarily intended for those working with clients who have existing or evolving hearing loss. The course is not intended to educate on lip-reading or sign language, which are prevalent aspects in deaf and hard of hearing communities.