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Welcome to Audiology

Have You Heard?

The Region 6 & 8 Low Incidence Project supports one full-time educational audiologist to assist the local educational team with identifying students who may qualify for D/HH services. 

Districts Served:  ACGC, Adrian, Benson, BOLD, BLHS, Canby, Cedar Mountain, Dawson-Boyd, EVW, Edgerton, Ellsworth, Fulda, GSL, Hendricks, HLO, HBC, Hutchinson, Ivanhoe, JCC, KMS, LqPV, Lake Benton, Lakeview, Lester Prairie, Luverne, Lynd, MACCRAY, MRVED, Marshall, Milroy, Minneota, Montevideo, Mountain Lake, MCC, NLS, Ortonville, Pipestone Area, Prinsburg, RTR, RRC, Redwood Area, RCW, RLB, Tracy Area, Wabasso, WWG, Willmar, Windom Area, Worthington and YME.

What to expect: Age-appropriate testing options are available for students ranging in age from birth through 22. Testing takes about 1 hour; both headphone and insert earphone styles are available for testing.
 
The following process has been set up for initial and re-evaluations (this does not pertain to regular re-checks in which the Audiologist is involved).
  • If a student fails a hearing screen and is in need of a hearing recheck and is NOT suspected of having a special education disability, the school or agency should follow their hearing recheck procedures and pre-referral procedures. That hearing recheck would NOT go through SWWC or the SWWC Educational Audiologist.
  • If a student fails a hearing screen and IS suspected of having a special education disability, the student should be referred to the special education child study team for that school/district.  At a special education child study meeting, if the team recommends an audiological should be completed as part of the special education evaluation, the referral should be made following the referral for an audiological through SWWC as detailed below. If the child study team determines a special education disability is not suspected, the school or agency should follow their hearing recheck procedures and pre-referral procedures mentioned above.
  • When a special education child study team is including an audiological on a student’s evaluation plan (initial or re-evaluation), please list audiology on the evaluation plan. If you have questions, please contact the Educational Audiologist. Once permission from the parent is received, complete the appropriate referral form located below.
Please contact the educational audiologist with any referral questions. The assigned administrative assistant will set up appointments as well as send out appointment reminders. Parents will also be provided, by the special education evaluation team, a parent questionnaire to complete and bring to the appointment when they meet with the Educational Audiologist.

What to Expect When Visiting the Audiologist

Visiting the Audiologist - What to Expect
Visiting the Audiologist - What to Expect
Scheduling the Appointment
Scheduling the Appointment: The Region 6 & 8 Low Incidence Project supports one full-time audiologist to assist the local educational team with identifying students who may qualify for D/HH services. Educational audiology services are offered during the school year by SWWC. We assess students at SWWC in Marshall, 1420 East College Drive (in the Market Street Mall). Appointments are schedule after a referral has been received from the school district’s special education child study team. Testing services are provided through SWWC at no cost to the families of children who are seen. For ideal testing conditions, we encourage only the child being tested accompany the parent or guardian. If more than one child in the same family is being tested on the same day, we encourage an additional adult accompany the group so the children can be tested one at a time.
Gathering of Information
The Educational Audiologist will send any required paperwork to the Special Education Child Study team. The team will provide the parent(s)/guardian(s) the paperwork include a Parent Questionnaire. Parent(s)/Guardian(s): Please complete the paperwork prior to the day of the hearing evaluation appointment.
Meet and Greet
On the day of the appointment, the parent(s)/guardian(s) and child to be tested will meet the Audiologist. Please bring your completed paperwork for the Audiologist. Please do not bring any other children along to the appointment. If more than one child in the same family is being tested on the same day, we encourage you to have another adult accompany the group so the children can be tested one at a time. If only one adult is available, please schedule two separate testing dates.
Hearing Evaluation - Man conducting hearing test
The Audiologist will administer one or several tests.
Picture of the ear, eardrum and ear canal
Picture showing an otoscope light shining at the eardrum.
Picture of infant getting hearing tested.
A miniature earphone and microphone are placed in the ear, sounds are played, and a response is measured. When a baby has possible hearing loss concerns, no echo or a reduced echo can be measured on the OAE test.
Picture of tympanogram chart reading
A Tympanogram is a graphic picture of the middle ear function that results as the pressure is varied against the TM. Tympanograms may be divided into three basic types and two sub-types, according to the shape of the graph that is obtained.
Picture of a tympanometer and tympanogram reading
Picture of girl in testing booth with audiologist looking on
Two pictures showing a parent and child in hearing test booth
Two pictures showing an audiologist and child pointing to pictures while being tested
Two pictures of children with headphones on during hearing test
Child is taught a play task in response to the onset of an acoustic stimulus.
Parent, children and audiologist sitting at table
Plastic model of a child's ear
Picture of audiogram readout
List of items to discuss
A second review of the history and related information. A review of current evaluation results. Suggestions are provided, along with our contact information. If/when it applies, the child study team members will complete a re-evaluation referral and testing will be scheduled for the child’s follow-up hearing evaluation.
Picture of someone completing a report and a mailbox
The audiologist completes the final report and the audiologist will send the completed reports to the special education evaluation team and the parent/guardian.
Child raising arms in the air
Remember, every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.

Audiology Team

Karen Dornbusch

Karen Dornbusch
Title: Audiologist
Phone Numbers:
Work: 507-537-2293

Forms/Documents

Audiology Booth Location

Marshall office

SWWC Marshall Office
100 London Road
Marshall, MN 56258
P: 507-537-2240
Open M - F: 8am - 4:30pm

Services made possible with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. The source of the funds are from Federal Award, Special Education—Grants to States, CFDS 84.027A, of P.L. 108-466 IDEA and amendment thereto.