Members of the public, when seeking hearing care services, should be assured that the practitioner they are seeing is competent to perform the services offered.
In Australia there are no legal requirements that limit a person offering hearing care services.
ACAud Members are required to demonstrate their professional competence and are assessed against ACAud’s Professional Competency Standards. Recognised Competencies are shown on a Member’s Certificate of Competency that is prominently displayed in the Member’s clinic and renewed annually.
Restricted Competencies
Basic Competencies
Extended Competencies
Specialist Competencies
Restricted Competencies
A Restricted Competency concerns the performance of tasks in a clearly defined narrow area of audiology. The skills required are limited to the performance of the screening tasks in hearing conservation programs or mass hearing loss identification programs.
- Children's Screening: Members who hold a Restricted Competency in Children’s Screening conduct routine screening hearing tests for the monitoring of hearing health in children.
- Industrial Screening: Members who hold a Restricted Competency in Industrial Screening conduct routine screening hearing tests for individuals who are employed in industry or other employment that might give rise to hearing loss.
Basic Competencies
A Basic Competency concerns the performance of tasks that are generally performed by fully qualified practitioners in the field of clinical audiology. In broad terms the field can be divided into two areas, that of diagnostics and rehabilitation. There are some skills that are common to both areas and some specific to one or the other. A practitioner may be qualified in either or both areas. All Ordinary Members of ACAud must be recognised as competent in at least one Basic competency.
- Hearing Aid Dispensing: Members who hold a Basic Competency in Hearing Aid Dispensing are clinicians who have been assessed as able to assess the need for and dispensing hearing aids.
- Diagnostic Assessment: Members who hold a Basic Competency in Diagnostic Assessment are clinicians who are able to assess hearing disorders with particular emphasis on site-of-lesion assessment.
Extended Competencies
An Extended Competency concerns the performance of tasks that are performed by fully qualified practitioners in specialised areas of clinical practice. The performance of these tasks requires specific skills in addition to those required for basic competencies.
Advanced Diagnostic Assessment
Members who hold an Extended Competency in Advanced Diagnostic Assessment are experienced clinicians or researchers who, in addition to being experienced in site of lesion assessment, are also able to perform and interpret at least one of the following:-
- Assessment of neuro-electrical function (including Auditory Brainstem Response Audiometry, Middle Latency Response, Cortical Response and Electrocochleography).
- Assessment of vestibular function.
- Assessment of central auditory processing function.
Advanced Rehabilitation
Members who hold an Extended Competency in Advanced Rehabilitation are clinicians or researchers who, in addition to being competent in the routine fitting of hearing aids, are able to fit hearing aids to persons who have a hearing loss requiring complex or unusual amplification (such as a person with a severe or profound hearing loss, a loss of unusual configuration) and/or very poor speech discrimination or a loss requiring complex aural rehabilitation AND are also able to offer services in at least one of the following areas:-
- Cochlear Implant
- pre-implant assessment and post implant calibration
- Vibro-tactile Aids, provision and training
- Assistive Listening Devices, provision and training
- Hearing aid fitting for persons with multiple disabilities
Consultant Clinician
Members who hold an Extended Competency as a Consultant Clinician are practitioners who have extensive experience in clinical practice and who are able to offer comprehensive advice, either to other hearing care practitioners or members of the public, on matters concerning the care and management of hearing disorders. These persons, in addition to their normal clinical practice, might commonly be called upon to supervise junior practitioners or to examine a practitioner in a competency.
Clinical Advisor
Members who hold an Extended Competency as a Clinical Adviser are clinicians who have a detailed knowledge of hearing aids and their function. These clinicians would frequently be employed by a hearing aid wholesaling company to promote their product and offer clinical support to other clinicians including advice on the specific use and application of that company’s product.
Hearing Conservation and Compensation
Members who hold an Extended Competency in Hearing Conservation and Compensation are clinicians who, in addition to being competent in routine diagnostic assessment, are able to both recognise the potential medico-legal implications of any assessment and conduct an interview and assessment to a standard required to carry weight in a Court of Law. These clinicians are also able to discuss and make recommendations on treatment and rehabilitative options that might arise as a consequence of a compensation claim. In addition, these clinicians are able to advise on hearing conservation programs.
Paediatric Assessment
Members who hold an Extended Competency in Paediatric Assessment are clinicians who, in addition to being competent in general diagnostic assessment, have specific additional training and experience in the assessment of young children. These clinicians often have additional experience in the assessment of multiply handicapped persons.
Tinnitus Assessment and Management
Members who hold a competence in Tinnitus Assessment and Management are clinicians or researchers who have specific training and interest in the identification of the various types and manifestations of tinnitus, the use of tinnitus management techniques and the counseling of persons who have tinnitus that affects their lifestyle.
Specialist Competencies
A Specialist Competency concerns specific groupings of Basic and Extended competencies which, when combined, allows the performance of tasks in an area of audiology with the highest degree of integrated knowledge and experience. All Fellows of ACAud must be recognised in at least one Specialist Competency.
- Clinical Educator
- Hearing Aid Dispensing - Diagnostic Assessment
- Advanced Diagnostic Assessment
- Advanced Rehabilitation
- Clinical Advisor
- Diagnostic Specialist
- Hearing Aid Dispensing Diagnostic Assessment
- Advanced Diagnostic Assessment
- Hearing Conservation and Compensation
- Tinnitus Assessment and Management
- General Practice Specialist
- Hearing Aid Dispensing
- Diagnostic Assessment
- Advanced Diagnostic Assessment
- Advanced Rehabilitation
- Paediatric Specialist
- Hearing Aid Dispensing
- Diagnostic Assessment
- Advanced Rehabilitation
- Paediatric Assessment
- Rehabilitation Specialist
- Hearing Aid Dispensing
- Diagnostic Assessment
- Advanced Rehabilitation
- Tinnitus Assessment and Management