Educational Audiologist Resources for Physical and Virtual Reopening
As you prepare for the school year during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic—with various levels of physical and virtual reopening options across the country—we know you’re facing unique challenges as audiologists. We’re here to help you navigate personal safety, return to in-person services and/or telepractice, share important information with parents, and join ASHA in advocating for yourself and your work.
Get more COVID-19 information and back-to-school resources from ASHA, and contact us at audiology@asha.org or through the ASHA Action Center (800-498-2071) with school-based clinical or professional questions.
Returning to In-Person Services
Find guidance on mask use, physical distancing, infection control, and more. (ASHA’s advocacy position calls for school districts to prioritize safety in making decisions to physically reopen schools.)
- ASHA’s advocacy position on reopening schools
- What to consider for resuming in-person services in schools
- Questions to ask school administrators to address safety concerns
- When to consider using masks for in-person service delivery
- Updated mask recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to include adaptations for people with hearing loss and other communication disorders, following urging from ASHA
- What to consider when resuming in-person audiology services
- How to handle audiology equipment for infection prevention and control [PDF]
- Considerations for face shields in school [PDF] from ASHA partner Educational Audiology Association (EAA)
- COVID-19: The use of classroom audio distribution systems (CADS) to improve auditory access for all students [PDF] from ASHA partner Educational Audiology Association (EAA)
Providing Telepractice
Get support to make the switch to virtual services a little smoother.
- Checklist for school-based telepractice [PDF]
- Serving students in other states and countries through telepractice
- Resource information for remote learning and teleaudiology [PDF] from EAA
- More general telepractice resources for COVID-19
Sharing Resources With Families, Caregivers, and Other Professionals
Help parents and families navigate their child’s communication needs during the ongoing pandemic.
- Shareable COVID-19 resources for parents and families across topics
- Tips for communicating effectively while wearing masks and physical distancing
- Tips for helping students with hearing loss in virtual and in-person learning settings
- Shareable images: helping student with hearing loss in in-person, virtual, or hybrid learning models
- Shareable images: 4 Tips for Wearing a Mask and 3 Ways to Prevent Earbuds and Headphones From Damaging Your Child's Hearing
- Hearing Screening Guidelines for SLPs During COVID-19
Balancing Well-Being and Workload
Remember to take care of yourself. Check out mental health resources for practitioners.
