Audiology Staff
Jillian Blaisdell, Au.D.
Doctor of Audiology
Jillian Blaisdell graduated with her clinical doctorate in Audiology from the University of Connecticut. She also received a Bachelor of Science degree and Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Vermont with a major in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Psychology. Jillian completed her doctoral clinical training with Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. She specializes in the diagnostic and non-medical treatment of hearing and balance disorders. Jillian holds state licensure for Rhode Island.
Lauren Malo, Au.D.
Doctor of Audiology.
Lauren Marciano graduated with her clinical doctorate in Audiology from the University of Connecticut. She also received a Bachelors of Science from Boston University with a major in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and with a minor in Deaf studies. Lauren completed her doctoral clinical training with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Providence, Rhode Island. Lauren holds state licensure for Rhode Island and is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Melissa Karp, Au.D.
Melissa graduated with her clinical doctorate in Audiology from the University of Connecticut. She also received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts with a major in Communication Disorders. Melissa completed her clinical training at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, working closely with young children and individuals with disabilities. She holds state licensure for Rhode Island.
Services Provided
Audiology
Jillian Blaisdell, Au.D.
Doctor of Audiology
Jillian Blaisdell graduated with her clinical doctorate in Audiology from the University of Connecticut. She also received a Bachelor of Science degree and Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Vermont with a major in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Psychology. Jillian completed her doctoral clinical training with Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. She specializes in the diagnostic and non-medical treatment of hearing and balance disorders. Jillian holds state licensure for Rhode Island.
Lauren Malo, Au.D.
Doctor of Audiology.
Lauren Marciano graduated with her clinical doctorate in Audiology from the University of Connecticut. She also received a Bachelors of Science from Boston University with a major in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and with a minor in Deaf studies. Lauren completed her doctoral clinical training with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Providence, Rhode Island. Lauren holds state licensure for Rhode Island and is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Diagnostic and Hearing Aid Services
Diagnostic hearing tests for ages 6 months and up including Tympanometric and acoustic reflex testing.
Otoacoustic Emission (OAE), which are beneficial in the auditory evaluation of infants and the difficult to test population.
Auditory Brainstem Response Testing (ABR): which is a neurological assessment and auditory threshold determination.
Videonystagmography (VNG): which is beneficial in diagnosing vestibular and balance function testing (dizziness and imbalance).Electrocochleography (EcochG): beneficial in the diagnosis of Endolymphatic Hydrops/Meniere's Disease.
Hearing Aid Services:
Audiologists provide complete hearing aid and assistive listening device services to patients with hearing problems. Audiologists provide education and training so that patients with hearing impairment can benefit from amplification and communicative devices. Audiologists dispense the majority of hearing aids in the United States. We use the most advanced computerized procedures to individualize the proper selection and fitting of hearing aids. Careful review of benefits, limitations and hearing aid options are provided to each patient based on their individual needs. Follow up care and hearing aid accessories are available during normal office hours for all three of our locations.
Additional products and services include: Musician earplugs, custom ear molds for noise protection, cell phones and CD/MP3 players, etc. All hearing aid care supplies and batteries.
Self-Hearing Test
For most people hearing loss develops slowly over time and therefore goes undiagnosed. Identifying some common difficulties may help you or someone you know to determine the need for a baseline-hearing test. If you answer yes to any of the following questions we recommend you contact our office or your physician to schedule a diagnostic hearing evaluation. Do you have any trouble understanding conversation in noisy environments or group settings? Do you notice that you can hear voices but cannot always understand what is being said? Do your friends or family members complain that you turn the television up to loudly? Do you frequently ask people to repeat themselves? Do you avoid social situations because you can't hear well and worry you will respond incorrectly? Do you frequently think people mumble when they speak to you?
Pediatric Milestones
Good hearing is essential to the social and intellectual development of infants and young children. If a question of hearing difficulty arise, then a complete medical and audiological work up is required. Using specialty test batteries, audiologists can identify and treat hearing loss in children of any age. Our audiologists work closely with the Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Program, the Rhode Island Department of Health and the local schools to identify hearing loss and provide consistent rehabilitative treatment for children ages six monts and up.The most critical period for speech and language development takes place between birth and 4 years of age. Undetected hearing loss can lead to delayed speech and language development, academic difficulties and social problems. The following examples are the typical order of Emergence responses to sound and speech in the first year and includes the approximate ages.
Newborn:
Is startled by a loud noise. Turns their head to look in the direction of sound. Is calmed by the sound of a voice. Prefers the mother's voice to a strangers and has the ability to discriminate many speech sounds. Typical vocalization-crying.
1-2 Mos.
Smiles when spoken to. Typical vocalizations- Cooing ("oo","goo"), laughs, cries in different ways when hungry, angry, or hurt, makes more speech-like sounds in response to speech.
3-7 Mos.
Responds differently to different intonations (friendly versus angry), responds to own name. Typical vocalizations - single syllable sounds ("ba", "ga"), babbles with duplicated sounds ("bababa"), attempts to imitate some sounds.
8-12 Mos.
Responds to their name. Responds to no. Recognizes phrases from games (Peekaboo). Recognizes words from routines (waiving bye bye). Recognizes some words. Typical vocalization - babbles with consonant or vowel sounds ("badaga", "babu")., babbles with sentence - like intonation (expressive jargon, conversational babble) and produces protowords (a sequence of sounds that has a relatively consistent meaning but not necessarily based on any adult word).
12-24 Mos.
Can point to familiar objects on command. Can imitate sounds and follow simple spoken instructions. Has increased vocabulary of single words. Can produce 1-2 word questions or phrases ( "go bye-bye". "more juice?"). Can point to body parts or familiar pictures in a book when asked. Will listen to simple stories or songs. Our audiologists are committed to helping our patients, regardless of age, benefit from good hearing. Call our office today to schedule an appointment.
** We reserve the right to charge a $50 no show charge if we do not receive a 24 hour notification of a cancellation for any type of testing.
