Services & Resources

The Hearing and Balance Center provides a full range of audiology services. Children and adults can be evaluated at the center or receive individual treatment. 

 Audiology Services

We offer comprehensive hearing services to provide the most accurate assessment to all of our clients. All testing is performed in a sound-treated booth, where behavioral and objective measures are used to determine outer, middle and inner ear function. Our facilities are designed for all ages. We have rooms designed specifically for testing children as well as rooms designed for families of newborns. Objective test measures include otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), acoustic immitance and auditory evoked potential testing. Diagnostic threshold auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing is performed for infants to diagnose degree and type of hearing loss or to confirm if hearing is within normal limits. Neurodiagnostic ABR testing can also be performed for people of all ages to assess the integrity of the auditory nerves and brainstem pathways including neurodiagnostic and threshold responses.

We dispense hearing aids for newborns through adults using state of the art techniques. We offer a wide range of digital hearing aid products from all major manufacturers, as well as hearing assistive technology. Our extensive inventory is designed to meet the communication and financial needs of our clients. We accept most major insurances, including Medical Assistance for children, and can bill hearing aid fees to participating insurance companies. We work with Starkey’s HEAR NOW organization as well as the Lions Association for Sight and Hearing (LASH) program to provide hearing aids and hearing aid services to people at a reduced fee.

Auditory Rehabilitation or A.R. includes a broad set of practices designed to maximize your ability to engage in activities that might otherwise be limited by hearing loss. BHBE is a 6-week A.R. program led by our doctoral students during the Summer Semester. These 1-hour sessions are free of charge and open to Maryland residents living with hearing loss. Family members, caretakers and students interested in learning more about hearing loss are also encouraged to participate. While our clinical patients are strongly encouraged to attend, participants do not need to be affiliated with the Hearing and Balance Center to take advantage of this opportunity.

In these engaging and interactive groups, our students focus on providing information and resources to help better manage hearing loss, improve communication, promote self-advocacy, support informed decision-making regarding hearing-related purchases, and maximize benefit from hearing device use. We also provide a space to interact with a community of peers and advocates for ongoing support. 

New, relevant topics are discussed each week. This information adds to (but is not dependent on) previously discussed topics allowing for scheduling around busy lifestyles. For your convenience, we also offer several session times throughout the week. The program ends with a Q&A Panel Discussion with local hearing experts (hearing professionals, service/resource providers and advocates) and our ever-popular prize drawings

To register for an upcoming session, please visit us at https://form.jotform.com/iwb/betterhearing 

If there are no courses available, please contact us at (410) 704-3095 or to be notified of the next available course.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Auditory processing disorder (APD) evaluations are performed to assess how the peripheral and central auditory systems process auditory information in situations such as adverse listening environments where background noise is present. APD evaluation is beneficial for people with normal hearing sensitivity who experience difficulty listening to or processing spoken language. APD can sometimes coexist with other language, reading, learning, memory, or attention disorders; however, APD is strictly related to the neural processing of auditory information. Tests of APD require that a child be at least 7 or 8 years-of-age in order to be accurately assessed, as brain function development is variable in younger children.

Newborn hearing is usually screened in the hospital. If your baby did not pass the screening, a re-screening or more testing is recommended. We can re-screen your baby's hearing and conduct more in-depth testing of your infant's hearing. If your child does have hearing loss, we will provide you with information and support related to the diagnosis and suggest some next steps. We continue to provide auditory testing, treatment and management services throughout childhood. We also work closely with area schools for the deaf, speech language pathologists and other professionals to maximize success for your child.

Tinnitus (ringing, hissing, buzzing in the ear/s) and hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound) are occasional occurrences for most people. For some, tinnitus and hyperacusis occur on a more regular basis, and can interfere with quality of life. Tinnitus and hyperacusis can be managed, and often the cause of them is related to hearing or balance problems. After a visit with an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat physician) or an otologist (an ear specialist), to rule out a medical reason for these symptoms, we can assess your tinnitus or hyperacusis and determine ways to manage them. Management may include use of hearing aids or tinnitus masking devices, or techniques to habituate you to the tinnitus or hyperacusis.

Dizziness or loss of balance is a symptom experienced by many people. It can be caused by changes in the visual, musculoskeletal or vestibular system of the ears. We offer comprehensive vestibular balance evaluations to help determine which of these systems may be contributing to the dizziness you are experiencing. Our evaluation includes videonystagmography (VNG), rotational chair testing and a hearing evaluation. In addition, we also offer specialized vestibular tests including ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing (oVEMP) and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing (cVEMP). We can help determine which tests you need if you are unsure. We also perform various types of repositioning maneuvers and treatment for patients diagnosed with specific types of dizziness or vertigo.

Audiology Resources

Direct Edit