Special Education

NYS School for the Blind, photos of the students
Audiology

Cindy Bovier, Audiologist

Audiological Services | What is assessed?

With one sense impaired, the other senses need to be used at their peak. NYSSB believes in the total child learning ... that means hearing!

Audiological services are available onsite for students attending NYSSB. Services that are provided include annual hearing screenings, middle ear screenings, regular monitoring and repair of assistive listening devices. 

Classroom consultation and follow-up is offered in order to provide specific information on each student’s hearing abilities, including suggestions to maximize each student’s abilities and training on daily care and monitoring of any listening device.

What types of auditory assessment happens at NYSSB?

  • Outer ear checks "Otoscopy": To look for blockages or inflammation in the ear.
  • Middle ear checks "Tympanometry": To look for ear infections, holes in the eardrum, status of the ear tubes.
  • Inner ear checks "Otoacoustic emissions": To look at the integrity of the inner hair cells (sensory part of hearing).
  • Eighth nerve checks "Acoustic Reflex": To check if nerve from the ear to the brain is intact and working.
  • Hearing level checks "Audiogram": To obtain actual loudness level that one hears a sound.
  • Functional hearing level checks "Speech Threshold" or "Speech Discrimination" in quiet or noise: To access how the student uses their hearing.
  • Assistive listening device assessment for a hearing aid or auditory trainer and maintenance of devices.
  • Sign language training.
  • Central Auditory Processing testing.
  • Observation and consultation with Speech, Nursing, Music and classroom Staff.
  • In-services provided as requested.
Last Updated: March 12, 2015