Holistic Aural Rehabilitation: a Challenge

Despite more than 40 years of medical and technical rehabilitation having been offered to hearing-impaired people in Norway, there are still considerable barriers to aural rehabilitation. This paper presents the current state of aural rehabilitation in Norway. The need for a change in aural rehabilitation, from being mainly a medical and technical matter into a holistic, cross-professional and multi-disciplinary approach, is argued. Educational audiology, as well as other professional fields, must be included, e.g. there is currently a lack of emphasis on psychosocial factors, acceptance of hearing loss and communication skills training. Reports and articles from other countries support the arguments for change in aural rehabilitation practice, not only in Norway. There is also a need for change in the educational programmes for professionals, to further emphasize scientific skills and research work.