A hearing aid dispenser is someone who can read written assessments of a patient’s hearing and provide him with the appropriate hearing aid. She can interpret test results, set up and modify hearing aids, and work with him to ensure his hearing aid is working properly. If the current hearing aid isn’t working properly, the hearing aid dispenser will make adjustments until the proper hearing aid is found. Those who want to work as hearing aid dispensers must first complete training and pass an examination.
Two years of training is available to those aged 18 and up who fill out an application to begin their training period. The trainee works with a licensed hearing aid dispenser who monitors her progress and corrects any errors. Until the end of the two-year period, the trainer will continue to advise her. She will take an exam after the internship is completed. Every state in the US offers the exam, and a trainee can get her license from any state, usually the one where she is employed.
The test is called a National Competency Exam, and it consists of two parts: a written section that must be completed first, and an examination section. On the written test, the test taker answers questions about hearing aids and patient evaluation, among other things. She will perform a series of tasks during the examination, including reviewing the patient’s report and fitting hearing aids. Her actions will be noted by the observer, as well as whether or not she performed the correct actions. She will be granted a license to sell hearing aids if she passes both parts of the test with a high enough score.
If you’re looking for a new hearing aid dispenser, make sure she’s licensed to do so. Inquire as to whether or not she is licensed and where she obtained her license. Users may be able to search for a person to see if she is licensed to dispense hearing aids on a state’s website, while others may provide this information when residents contact them directly. On the website of the California Department of Consumer Affairs Hearing and Dispensers Bureau, for example, there is a search engine for hearing aid dispensers. Patients can double-check that their hearing aid dispenser is licensed by using the search box.