Audiology Connections - 2022 - 23

AN OPTIMISTIC FUTURE FOR AUDIOLOGISTS
Navigating Career Change: A Calling to Educational Audiology
Change. It's a word often greeted with
mixed emotions-including anxiety,
anticipation, curiosity, reflection,
challenge, fear, and hope. A word
that has undoubtably been part of our
vocabulary during the past 2 years.
Each of us has been forced to wrestle
with the word in a multitude of ways
that have rippled across personal
and career decisions. My career
journey brought me to the crossroads
of change-where reflection on a
decades-long commitment to public
service and association work met a
future that called for anticipation and
action.
The past year has offered many of us
time for self-examination and deeper
connections with family and friends. It
has allowed us to take a closer look at
our path and purpose with fresh eyes.
This was part of my process and what
led me to a new career in schoolbased
audiology. In these turbulent
times, I found inspiration to shift course
from my recent past position (national
service to the profession that I love
through my work at ASHA) to my new,
current position-serving the unique
needs of children with hearing loss
in the classroom and their families.
School systems face a variety of
special challenges during a public
health emergency. Some of those
challenges are long-standing and
require continuous advocacy: current
educational policy initiatives and
their impact on students with hearing
loss; manageable workloads; family
education; and tools and strategies for
defining and articulating the value of
an audiologist working with students
who have hearing loss.
I was inspired to contribute my voice
to school-based audiology issues
and engage in all the conversations
that matter to this segment of the
profession. To have an impact within
the community that I serve and return
to the front lines of service. To make
a difference in the lives of children
with hearing loss to ensure that they
receive required access to classroom
curriculum and can get the best
education. My role as an " itinerant
audiologist " is different than any role
I have held in my career. I continue
to learn and grow each day on the
job, making a difference in the lives
of students by providing necessary
services, support, and counsel. This
was the answer to my calling.
As the world of work-from-home
has changed, so has tele-education.
Virtual, hybrid, synchronous, and
asynchronous learning have
demanded that educational
audiologists continuously evolve. How
we accept and embrace change
matters, regardless of our work setting.
I found myself driven to seeking
opportunities to grow and embrace a
new and different area of practice-
all the while expanding beyond my
comfort zone. If you are considering
a change within the profession of
audiology, know that the future is
bright, diversified, and filled with
possibilities. Challenges may exist but
answering the call to greater service
will always be rewarding.
Paul K. Farrell, AuD,
CCC-A, is an educational
audiologist with Fairfax
County Public Schools in
Falls Church, Virginia.
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Audiology Connections - 2022

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