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Class of 1968 Supports State-of-the-Art Audiology Equipment

Elmira, NY (11/06/2019) — When deciding on their 50th Class Reunion gift, the Class of 1968 decided on a goal to upgrade equipment for the Elmira College communication sciences and disorders program.

"In conversation with Cathy Thornton, we became aware of the need for essential pieces of audiology equipment on which students could train. It is imperative that students meet the high expectations of professionals in the field and students applying for admission to Elmira College will want to know that they will be trained in a well-equipped audiology suite," said Ann Wright Davis, Class of 1968. "I began my rewarding career as a speech language pathologist at EC and I was very well prepared for graduate school because of the rich and rigorous training I received. Today's EC students deserve the same high-quality education."

"Because of this gift, we were able to update our audiology testing equipment to state-of-the-art equipment," said Cathy Thornton, Elmira College associate professor and director of communication sciences and disorders. "We also were able to update the video recording equipment in the individual therapy rooms."

Equipment upgrades included:

  • Avant computerized audiometer: allows for faster, more efficient testing, as well as the ability to perform a more diverse number of auditory assessments. Additionally, the audiometer is connected to the printer, which allows computer printed audiograms rather than hand-written audiograms. The advantage is that individuals are able to understand the impact of their hearing loss on speech perception through use of the "familiar sounds audiogram," a tool which allows faculty to demonstrate which speech and other common sounds may not be perceived auditorily.
  • Audioscan Auricle real ear measurement: enables the examiner to determine if hearing aids are fitted properly. Additionally, this piece of equipment allows examiners to enter an individual's hearing thresholds and to simulate the hearing loss for family members. This facilitates understanding of what the hearing-impaired individual experiences with or without amplification. In addition, it helps family members remember to engage in better communication practices when speaking with the hearing-impaired individual.
  • Otoacoustic emissions: allows assessment of neural damage in the cochlea. This is very useful when testing young children who may not be able to sit through an entire hearing assessment. It also provides an "early alert" due to the fact that examiners can often determine cochlear damage which may not yet show up in traditional hearing tests.
  • Immittance bridge: performs two different tests - tympanometry, which allows the assessment of the function of the middle ear, and acoustic reflex threshold (ART) testing, which tests the auditory nerve at the level of the brainstem.
  • Video otoscope: enables the examiner to not only look into the patient's ear, but also to show it on a monitor. As a teaching institution, video otoscopy is very helpful in educating students. Faculty can see exactly what the student is seeing and can help them explain to the student how to get a better view, as well as what structures and landmarks he/she is observing, making it an excellent teaching tool.

The new pieces of equipment, paired with a new graduate school articulation agreement with Thiel College, are valuable additions to the Elmira's communication sciences and disorders program.

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