In August 2018, 12 guests arrived from seven different nations to complete advanced training at the Academy of Hearing Aid Acoustics (afh) in Lübeck. After all, hardness of hearing is an international problem and the vocational training of hearing aid acousticians under the dual system in Germany is an export success.
While in other countries it is primarily ear, nose and throat doctors (ENT specialists) or audiologists who deal with hearing impairment, in Germany 15,000 specially trained hearing aid acousticians supply those suffering from hearing impairment with individually adapted hearing systems.
The training concept at the afh is an international export hit for the initial and continuing vocational education and training of hearing aid acousticians. Each year, audiologists, sometimes from more than 40 different nations, visit the audiology campus in Lübeck to learn about training methods and content and to complete continuing training according to the very latest German standards.
The academy is the world's largest educational institutions for audiology of its type. The academy's excellent resources for continuing education in practice have the most significant appeal for visitors. In particular, it is the pooling of knowledge in a single location which enables the experts here to consistently respond to the sector’s short innovation cycles and to provide training which is always up to date. Training agreements are in place with China, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan.
This year, summer academy participants came from Morocco, Tunisia, Cyprus, Greece, Switzerland, Slovenia and Croatia. They were taught by full-time teachers and lecturers at the afh as well as by part-time lecturers working in the field. The content of the theoretical practical courses was delivered in English.
The content at this year's summer academy focused on providing hearing systems for children. In Germany, hearing aid acousticians at the Academy of Hearing Aid Acousticians are able to train as paediatric acousticians in a special advanced training course. There are currently around 1000 paediatric acousticians throughout Germany who have extensive knowledge and skills relating to all aspects of children's ears and their hearing. Participants learned about the process - developed in Lübeck - of fitting hearing systems for children up to the age of two, as well as various measurement procedures for audiometry which are appropriate for both babies and children up to the age of two. The programme also included the particular features involved in the casting and design of ear moulds for children’s ears and further practical work using subject groups.
Background to the skilled trade of the hearing aid acoustician
In addition to initially treating the client, the hearing aid acoustician is also responsible for the ongoing fine adjustment involving repeated checks and readjustments of the hearing system functions. In addition, they also arrange for the payment of costs through statutory health insurance - if there is a legal entitlement to this - and are available to some degree for servicing and repairing the hearing systems.
They also provide advice on hearing protection and specific technical accessories. The hearing aid acoustician has theoretical knowledge from the areas of acoustics, audiology, psychology and hearing system technology and has practical skills in audiometry, hearing system selection and fitting, specialised electrical acoustic measurement procedures and, above all, they are able to provide the very highest level of individualized client advice.