Portugal: Curriculum of Audiology

1. Portugal: Curriculum of Audiology • Four years higher education degree (polytechnic: 3 years theory, 1 year practical training – two programmes – Coimbra and Porto): • 1st year: • study of basic sciences: • Physiology, Anatomy, Pathology, Linguistics, Phonetics, Psychology… • 2nd year: • study of sciences associated with Audiology: • Pathology, Anatomy and Audio-vestibular Physiology, Engineer and Instrumentation, Psychoacoustics and Prevention, Rehabilitation and Vestibulogy. • 3rd year: • practical training, involving all areas described above. • 4rd year: • purpose to expand all knowledge acquired during the first 3 years: • Vestibular Rehabilitation, Vestibulogy… Associação Portuguesa de Audiologistas and Escola Superior Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra

2. Portugal: Audiologists Competences • Prevention: • neonate screening programmes; • pre-school and school screening programmes; • occupational noise (to participate and create information campaigns and to participate in occupational noise screening programmes); • elderly screening programmes. • Diagnosis: • audiologists use acoustical, phsicoacoustical and electrophysiological techniques, either in children or adults (pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, supraliminar tests, impedanciometry, BERA, VNG, OEA, posturography). • Rehabilitation: • audiologists work in aural rehabilitation, either with cochlear implants or hearing aid. • when necessary, hearing aid devices are acquired with the support of different Health sub-systems. • audiologists also work in vestibular rehabilitation involving other professionals. Associação Portuguesa de Audiologistas and Escola Superior Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra