Audiologists’ sensory integration awareness

Objectives: This study aimed to measure the sensory integration awareness of audiologists working in different fields, how they perceive the effect of hearing loss on sensory processing, and their level of knowledge and education on this subject. Materials and Methods: The observational study included 208 audiologists (62 males, 146 females; mean age: 25.4±3.9 years; range, 21 to 54 years) regardless of their experience between May 2024 and August 2024. Participants were asked about their sex, age, university degree, and city of work, as well as field of work and years of experience. They were then asked to complete a 22-question form about sensory integration issues in individuals with hearing loss. Results: Considering the general level of awareness of sensory integration, 54% of the participants had a low level of knowledge. When the awareness rate was grouped according to the field of work, audiologists working in the field of rehabilitation were the group with the highest awareness rate with a rate of 45.5%. Eighty-nine percent of the participants stated that they did not receive any sensory integration training, but 64% stated that they would like to receive sensory integration training. Conclusion: Considering the perceptual and behavioral benefits of multisensory integration, audiologists have a great responsibility in the development of auditory perception, both in the early detection and intervention of hearing loss and in the field of auditory rehabilitation. Sensory integration training should be included in the undergraduate programs of audiologists. It is also important to include sensory integration therapy in the auditory rehabilitation program for children with hearing loss.