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Objectives: An estimated 87 mln people worldwide have severe and profound hearing loss. Evidence shows that for the appropriate candidates, there are large, life-changing benefits from cochlear implants, the magnitude of which cannot be achieved using hearing aid technology alone. Despite this, only around 7% of adults in the U.S. and the UK, with qualifying hearing loss go on to receive a cochlear implant. That means that a large majority of adults with severe and profound hearing loss will continue to use hearing aids for the foreseeable future. Despite this the evidence which underpins best practice for these adults is weak. To address the problem of best practice for hearing aids and severe and profound hearing loss, a group of international experts have come together to develop practical guidelines. The expert group identified unique needs and special considerations for best practice in the audiological management of clients with severe and profound hearing loss. Experts included researchers, academics, teachers of audiology and important audiologists in clinical practice. In developing best practice guidelines, the need for stronger research was found and gaps in the evidence were identified. The guidelines give audiologists practical recommendations that can be immediately implemented in their practice. Material and methods: To define best practice the working group used a two-stage approach: (1) use evidence where available, and elsewhere (2) provide the consensus advice of the expert panel. The aim was to develop practical guidelines based on existing evidence and not a systematic review. Evidence-based practices are recommended where possible and in the case of insufficient scientific evidence then recommendations based on expert advice is provided. The aim is to inform best practice in hearing care and improve outcomes for adults with severe and profound hearing loss. Results: The resulting best practice guidelines were published online at the end of December 2020: Turton L., Souza P., Thibodeau L., Hickson L., Gifford R., Bird J., Stropahl M., Gailey L., Fulton B., Scarinci N., Ekberg K., & Timmer B. (2020), Guidelines for best practice in the audiological management of adults with severe and profound hearing loss, Seminars in Hearing, 41(3): 141--245. https://doi. org/10.1055/s-0040-1714744. The guidelines include 153 recommendations for best practiced based on current evidence. The topics covered are include audiological assessment and psychosocial needs, selecting hearing aids and wireless microphones, to the referral for cochlear implants. The relevance of other implantable technologies is also discussed. The recommendations highlight when onwards referral for specialist care by otologist, psychologist or other rehabilitation is indicated and the special considerations needed in tinnitus management when severe and profound hearing loss is present. It closes with a discussion of the challenge of outcome measurement for this group and how to approach long term ongoing care. Conclusions: This presentation will focus on the audiological management of adults with severe and profound hearing loss who use hearing aids. Some of the guideline's key recommendations for audiological management will be highlighted. Despite the challenges facing these adults, the aim is to open up new opportunities in care which can improve the quality of audiology provided to these clients. These recommendations have the potential to improve audiological outcomes and quality of life for adults with severe and profound hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to describe the history and resources of the doctor of audiology (AuD) program at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD)/Callier Center for Communication Disorders, as well as to provide an overview of the program. METHOD: Data from 1999, when the AuD program was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Program, to the present were reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: The UTD/Callier Center AuD program includes more than 40 faculty members, spans 3 campuses, and has 8 research laboratories. Total enrollment is 32 students (8 students are admitted each year for the 4-year program). Students have access to extensive resources and learning opportunities. The clinical and research programs at the UTD/Callier Center are actively involved in providing high-quality, in-depth education to future doctors of audiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We administered a battery of both behavioral and electrophysiologic measures to a pair of fraternal twin girls, one of whom exhibited symptoms consistent with an auditory processing disorder. Both twins were within normal limits on standardized tests of cognitive and language skills. Basic audiometric measures, as well as behavioral tests of simultaneous masking, backward masking, gap detection, and frequency-sweep discrimination, showed little difference between the twins. Significant differences, however, were evident on event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to both within-channel and across-channel gap detection tasks. Substantial differences were also noted for ERPs to both linguistic and nonlinguistic targets in dichotic listening paradigms. The pattern of electrophysiologic results was consistent with a deficit in the efficiency of interhemispheric transfer of auditory information. A possible reason for the greater effectiveness of electrophysiologic over behavioral measures is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]