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Carls Center Clinic

Audiology

Carls Center Clinic

As part of the Carls Center Clinic at Central Michigan University our audiology clinic is one of the largest audiology clinics in Michigan. CMU provides the most comprehensive audiology services in Mid-Michigan and serves persons of all ages. The Carls Center participates in all insurance plans that provide hearing benefits, including Medicaid and CSHCS.

Audiology Service

The audiology clinic specializes in the prevention, identification, assessment and rehabilitation of hearing and balance disorders. The Carls Center Clinic offers comprehensive hearing testing for all ages, hearing aid evaluations and hearing aid dispensing. Audiology services also include specialized testing for the diagnosis of hearing impairment in very young children, testing for balance and/or dizziness, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Carls Center offers a variety of testing methods in state of the art facilities. The audiology clinic houses 7 sound treated test booths, 2 evoked potential suites, 5 hearing aid dispensing suites and the region's only comprehensive vestibular assessment center. Vestibular assessments include Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP), Rotary Chair testing, Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) testing and Videonystagmography (VNG/ENG) testing.

Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation

These are the various diagnostic hearing evaluations that are used:

Pure-Tone Testing - A soft foam earphone is inserted into the ear and the patient responds to the tone. The softest sounds heard are then plotted on an audiogram (hearing chart) for frequencies between 250 to 8000 Hz. Several frequencies are also tested using a bone oscillator, which assesses the hearing of the inner ear.

Speech Audiometry - The audiologist will determine the softest level at which you can hear two-syllable words. Further testing will determine your ability to understand speech at a comfortable listening level.

Immittance - An audiologist will place a soft probe tip into your ear to determine the movement of the eardrum and to evaluate middle ear function.

Acoustic Reflex Testing - An audiologist will place a soft probe tip into your ear and will present a series of tones to you. This will measure the middle ear muscle contraction.

Basic Audiology Services

Comprehensive hearing evaluation for patients of all ages
Acoustic immittance evaluation of middle ear function and acoustic reflexes
Hearing aid selection, fitting, and follow up with all types of hearing instruments, from conventional through state-of-the-art digital signal processing systems for patients of all ages
Assistive listening device consultation
Cochlear implant evaluation, programming, and follow-up
Central auditory processing evaluation
Audiologic rehabilitation
Audiologic outreach services for pre-schools, schools, nursing homes, and other residential care settings
Hearing screening
Hearing conservation programs
Educational auditory services provided in Mid-Michigan school districts