Audiologists Fly UKZN Flag in Italy

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Two UKZN academics presented the results of their survey of Audiologists in South Africa at the 29^th World Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) in Italy. 

They were the Academic Leader in the Discipline of Audiology, Dr Neethie (Lavanithum) Joseph and Ms Kara Hoffman, whose paper was titled: “Paediatric Aural Rehabilitation services: A survey of Audiologists in South Africa”. 

The five-day Conference, held in Turin, was attended by professionals and academics interested in the normal functioning as well as disorders in the areas of communication, audiology, speech, voice, language, and swallowing. 

Joseph and Hoffman reported on the experience of Audiologists in South Africa with regard to the provision of paediatric aural rehabilitation.  

Their study revealed that the majority of Audiologists were more confident working with older children than younger children in the early intervention stage of 0-three years. Only 37 percent were positively confident and confidence increased as the child got older.   

Further, the degree of hearing loss also had an influence. The older the child was, the more confident the clinician. Only 60 percent were positively confident working with children with severe to profound hearing loss. 

The study also reported several challenges, including system challenges - such as language and cultural barriers, funding, lack of access and awareness of services - and late diagnosis, relating to working with families - family involvement, poverty and HIV/AIDS - and practice challenges including lack of resources, undergraduate training in counselling, time constraints, and inter professional collaboration. 

Joseph has a special interest in early communication intervention between children with hearing loss and their families, paediatric audiology and educational audiology. 

Hoffman, who completed her Masters’ degree at UKZN in the Discipline of Audiology under the supervision of Joseph in 2011, is a Clinical Audiologist in private practice and a member of the Durban Cochlear Implant Programme.  

Professor Sabiha Essack, Dean of the School of Health Sciences congratulated the duo.  IALP is an organisation representing people involved with scientific, educational and professional issues related to communication, language, voice, speech, hearing and swallowing disorders and sciences in children and adults.

 

-          Nombuso Dlamini