Educational audiologists provide the bridge BETWEEN the clinical audiologist working in hospitals, rehabilitation centers or private practices, AND the school system.  They take the information provided by the clinical audiologist and interpret the implications for the school staff, in terms of general classroom management, equipment needs, in-service and auditory programming.  Based on the needs of the individual case, consultation may include any number of individuals including the child with hearing loss, the child's peers, the parents, the classroom teacher, the special education resource teacher, the teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, the principal or vice principal and/or members of the school team such as the speech language pathologist, the psychologist, the social worker, the special education consultant and others.

Initial consultation for an individual child is based on information provided through a review of the audiological history and a discussion of educational progress and concerns with the family and/or school staff.  The educational audiologist may then observe the child in the classroom, assess personal and classroom amplification, assess listening skills and/or provide individual counseling with the child and/or the family.  Meeting with the school staff following initial consultation is crucial to determine the recommendations that best fit the child's needs and the classroom teacher's teaching style.

At a system level, the educational audiologist can review the overall equipment needs and determine a systematic approach for acquisition and management of FM equipment required by children with hearing loss.  The inclusion of the educational audiologist in the equipment management has saved significant monies in the FM budget in many boards as a result of a more tightly managed process of purchase, repairs and inventory. The sophistication of FM equipment now requires specific fitting of FM systems with specialized computer hardware and software used by the educational audiologist.  The more widespread use of sound field FM systems for children with normal hearing necessitates personnel to introduce, monitor and in-service the equipment.  The educational audiologist can assist current staff in developing managment protocols for sound field FM systems.

The educational audiologist can also provide in-service training related to the auditory management of children with hearing loss.  The rapid change in technologies used by children necessitates ongoing in-service to maintain and modify classroom amplification equipment provided for classroom teachers focussed on the development of appropriate listening strategies.