The Audiology Externship at the University of Wisconsin is designed to provide an audiology doctoral candidate with intensive clinical training in providing pediatric audiological and follow-up services and leadership training to improve systems of care for families of children with hearing loss. This is a unique opportunity offered through acollaboration between the American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH), Wisconsin Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (WI LEND) Program at the Waisman Center, and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Program at the University of Wisconsin

American Family Children’s Hospital (operating as one of the UW Hospitals and Clinics) offers a wide variety of pediatric services, including diagnostic behavioral audiometry ranging from behavioral observation, visual reinforcement audiometry, conditioned play audiometry, and conventional audiometry. AFCH offers exposure to a wide variety of children with multiple medical issues and various genetic syndromes, including Down syndrome, CHARGE Association, Treacher Collins Syndrome, Opitz Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kubuki Syndrome, and many others. AFCH offers interdisciplinary team services for children with various craniofacial anomalies (CFAC). In addition to behavioral audiometry, the extern will practice otoscopy, immittance testing, otoacoustic emissions testing, auditory brainstem response testing, and auditory steady state response testing.

AFCH offers hearing aid services, including hearing aid evaluations/consultations, fittings, hearing aid verifications, earmold impressions, earmold modifications, and general maintenance of hearing aids and earmolds. AFCH provides cochlear implant services and the extern will have exposure to candidacy evaluations, counseling, device programming, and follow-up services with functional testing. There will be exposure to candidacy evaluation, counseling, fitting, programming, and follow-up for the non-surgical and surgically implanted osseointegrated sound processor program.

For more than 35 years, the Waisman Center has provided comprehensive services and supports to people with disabilities and their families. Audiological services are provided as part of an interdisciplinary team, including, but not limited to the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic, Neuromotor Development Clinic, Down Syndrome Clinic, and the Newborn Follow-up Clinic. The Waisman Center also collaborates with Central Wisconsin Center (CWC) to provide audiological services. CWC is a state residential and short-term treatment facility for individuals with developmental disabilities located in Madison, Wisconsin.

The audiology extern will participate as a long-term trainee in the WI LEND program, completing all program competencies for which a certificate will be awarded at the end of the year.  WI LEND is a competency-based interdisciplinary training program where all trainees are provided an opportunity to develop leadership through participation in clinical work, policy and advocacy, community and research projects. 

The extern will participate in a research lab with a minimum of 6 hours per week during the academic semesters. The research project will be in the Soundscape and Audiology Research Lab at Goodnight Hall. Dr. Jorgensen’s research is broadly measuring and improving audiologic intervention outcomes in daily life for people with hearing loss. His work combines virtual sound environments in the lab and data collection in the real-world to understand how hearing loss, audiologic interventions, and auditory environments interact. 

The extern can have an opportunity for clinic at the University of Wisconsin Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Misophonia program for individuals across the lifespan. The program provides an individualized management plan and education to individuals with debilitating tinnitus and misophonia