Carol Flexer, Ph.D., Audiologist

BRIEF BIO

Carol Flexer, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus
The University of Akron and Northeast Ohio Au.D. Consortium (NOAC)
Akron, Ohio USA

Carol Flexer received her doctorate in audiology from Kent State University in 1982. She was at The University of Akron for 25 years as a Distinguished Professor of Audiology in the School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Special areas of expertise include pediatric and educational audiology. She continues to lecture extensively nationally and internationally and has authored more than 150 publications. She has co-edited and authored eight books: Children with Hearing Loss: Developing Listening and Talking, Birth to Six; Pediatric Audiology: Diagnosis, Technology, and Management; How the Student with Hearing Loss Can Succeed in College, 1st and 2nd ed.; Sound-Field Amplification: Theory and Practical Applications, 1st and 2nd ed.; and Facilitating Hearing and Listening in Young Children, 1st and 2nd ed. She is a past President of the Educational Audiology Association and a past president of the American Academy of Audiology. Currently, she is president of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. She is a Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT) and a licensed audiologist. For her research and advocacy for children with hearing loss, Dr. Flexer received the Volta Award, a prestigious award conferred by The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Dr. Flexer also is a Certified Laughter Leader.

Read a Time Magazine article about practical applications of Dr. Flexer's work.

Brief Vita

Carol Flexer, Ph.D., CCC/A; LSLS Cert. AVT

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Audiology

School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology,
and the Northeast Ohio Au.D., Consortium (NOAC)
The University of Akron
Akron, Ohio 44325-3001
Phone: 330-972-8187
FAX: 330-972-7884
e-mail: cflexer@uakron.edu

Educational Background

1964.1971	University of Colorado, Boulder, CO; Nursing and Psychology
1974.1975	Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO; B.A. 1975, Summa Cum Laude, Speech and Psychology
1975.1976	University of Denver, Denver, CO; M.A. 1976, Audiology and Speech Pathology
1979.1982	Kent State University, Kent, OH; Ph. D. 1982, Clinical Audiology, Aural Rehabilitation, Psychology

Sample of Honors and Awards

Received the 1989 Nitchie Award in Communication from the New York League for the Hard of Hearing for promoting the mainstreaming of children who are hearing impaired.

Received the 1990 Distinguished Services Award from the Akron Regional Speech and Hearing Association (ARSHA) for providing families and children with audiological services that represent “Best Practices”

Received the 1990 Faculty Achievement Award from the University of Akron for the research in the field of Educational Audiology.

Received the 1992 Berg Award from the Educational Audiology Association in the recognition of research, advocacy, and service delivery for children with hearing losses.

Received the 2000 VOLTA AWARD from the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (their most prestigious award) for the research and contributions to children with hearing losses.

Received the 2004 Excellence in Education Award presented by the Ohio Magazine.

Identified in March 2006 by Edutopia from the George Lucas Educational Foundation, as the "Decibel Diva", one of the Daring Dozen who are Reshaping Education.

Academic Work Experience

June 2006	Retired from The University of Akron as Distinguished Professor Emeritus
June 2004	Promoted to Distinguished Professor of Audiology
Sept. 2000 - May 2001	Appointed Interim Associate School Director, School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, The University of Akron.
Sept. 1993	Promoted to Professor, The University of Akron.
Jan. 1988	Granted Tenure, The University of Akron.
Sept. 1987	Promoted to Associate Professor, The University of Akron.
Jan. 1983 – Aug. 1987	Assistant Professor, The University of Akron. Taught graduate and undergraduate courses and practicum in Aural Rehabilitation and Audiology.
Sept 1982 – Dec. 1982	Instructor, The University of Akron. Taught courses and practicum in Aural Rehabilitation and Audiology.
Sept. 1981 – May 1982	Instructor, Kent State University. Taught courses and practicum in Aural Rehabilitation including Speech for the Hearing Impaired.
Aug. 1979 – Aug. 1981	Doctoral Teaching Fellow, Kent State University. Taught undergrad/graduate courses in Aural Rehabilitation and Audiology. Supervised clinical practicum. Served on a Trainee Grant.
Sept. 1976 – June 1979	Lecturer and clinical supervisor. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. Taught audiology, audiometry and anatomy and physiology courses. Supervised undergraduate and graduate students in diagnostic and aural rehabilitation practicum on and off campus. Organized and developed the aural rehabilitation program at Texas Tech.

Sample of Professional Associations

American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA); CCC/A

Ohio License in Audiology; #A-0365

American Auditory Society

American Academy of Audiology –

Board of Representatives 1992-1994
President 1995-1996
Convention Chair; Chicago 2000

Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf

Auditory Verbal International (AVI) –

Board of Directors, 1989-1995;
Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (Cert-AVT)

Educational Audiology Association – President, 1989

Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (Shhh) – Educational/Children’s Issue Advisor 1997

The Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC)

Sample of Scholarly Productivity and Research (over 150 publications)

Books:

Cole, E., & Flexer, C. (2007). Children with hearing loss: Facilitating listening and talking, birth to six. San Diego: Plural Publishing, Inc.

Crandell, C.C., Smaldino, J.J., & Flexer, C. (2005). Sound-Field amplification: Applications to speech perception and classroom acoustics, 2^nd ed. New York: Thomson Delmar Learning

Crandell, C.C., Smaldino, J.J., & Flexer, C. (1995). Sound-Field FM amplification: Theory and practical applications. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group, Inc.

Flexer, C. (1999). Facilitating hearing and listening in young children (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group, Inc.

Flexer, C. (1994). Facilitating hearing and listening in young children. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group, Inc.

Flexer, C., Wray, D., Leavitt, R., & Flexer, R. (Eds.) (1996). How the student with hearing loss can succeed in college: A handbook for students, families, and professionals (2nd ed.).

Flexer, C., Wray, D., & Leavitt, R. (Eds.) (1990). How the student with hearing loss can succeed in college: A handbook for students, families, and professionals. Washington, DC: Alexander Graham Bell association for the Deaf.

Madell, J., & Flexer, C. (2008). Pediatric Audiology: Birth through Adolescence. New York: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Rasinski, T., Flexer, C., & Szypulski, T. (2006). The sound of learning: Why self amplification matters – A field guide. Minneapolis: Harebrain, Inc.

Sample of Book Chapters:

Flexer, C. (2001). Enhancing the listening environment for early learning success. In R. Sorenson, Preventing early learning failure, (pp. 37-46). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

Flexer, C. (2000). How are new amplification technologies changing everything that we used to know about deafness? In L. Robertson, Literacy learning for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, (pp. 1-21). Washington DC: Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Flexer, C. (1996). Amplification for children with minimal hearing loss. In F. Bess, J. Gravel, and A. Tharpe (Eds.), Amplification for children with auditory deficits, (pp. 321-337). Nashville, TN: Bill Wilkerson Center Press.

Publications – Sample of Journal Articles:

Crandell, C.C., Holmes, A.E., Flexer, C., & Payne, M. (1998). Effects of sound field FM amplification on the speech recognition of listeners with cochlear implants. Journal of Educational Audiology, 6, 21-27.

Flexer, C. (1989). Neglected issues in educational audiology. Journal of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, 22, 61-66.

Flexer, C. (1991). Access to communication environments through assistive listening devices. Ohio Journal of Speech and Hearing (Hearsay), 6, 9-14.

Flexer, C. (1997). Commonly-asked questions about children with minimal hearing loss. The Journal of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, 18 (1), 8-12.

Flexer, C. (1997). Individual and sound-field FM systems: Rationale, description, and use. The Volta Review, 99 (3), 133-162.

Flexer, C. (2000). The power of hearing. Journal of the Learning to Listen Foundation (The Listener). Special Edition. 30-32.

Flexer, C. (2004). Sound-field technology: Enhancing listening, literacy, and learning for all children. Hearing Loss, the Journal of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, 25(3), 10-14.

Flexer, C. (2004). The impact of classroom acoustics: Listening, learning, and literacy. Seminars in Hearing, 25(2), 131-140.

Flexer, C., Biley, K.K., Hinkley, A., Harkema, C., & Holcomb, J. (2002). Using sound-field systems to teach phonemic awareness to pre-schoolers. The Hearing Journal, 55(3), 38-44.

Flexer, C., & Long, S. (2003). Sound-Field amplification: Preliminary information regarding special education referrals. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 25(1), 29-34.

Flexer, C., Robb, B.S., Wray, D., & Sommers, R. (2005). Early intervention for children with cochlear implants: A paradigm shift in expectations. Hearsay, Journal of the Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Association 17, 15-27.

Goldberg, D..M. & Flexer, C. (2001). Auditory-verbal graduates: Outcome survey of clinical efficacy. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 12(8), 406-414.

Leavitt, R., & Flexer, C. (1991). Speech degradation as measured by the Rapid Speech Transmission Index (RASTI). Ear and Hearing, 12, 115-118.

Lesner, S.A., & Flexer, C., Goldstein D. P. (1991). Diagnostics + Rehabilitation = Au.D. : Equation for a unified profession. Journal of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, 24, 113-120.

Wray, D., & Flexer, C. (2002). Cochlear implants: Expanding opportunities for children with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Hearsay, Journal of the Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 15, 15-21.

Wray, D., Flexer, C., & Vaccaro, V. (1997). Classroom performance of children who are hearing impaired who learned spoken communication through the Auditory-Verbal approach. The Volta Review, 99 (2), 107-119.

Wray, D., Hazlett, J., & Flexer, C. (1988). Strategies for teaching writing skills to hearing-impaired adolescents. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 19, 182-190.

Presentations – Sample of International, National and Regional Presentations: (Dr. Flexer has given more than 450 presentations at state, national and international venues.)

Techniques for parents: How to enhance the auditory signal in everyday situations. Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing International Convention. June 2006. Pittsburgh, PA (refereed).

Acoustic accessibility: Facilitating classroom listening for all children. Children’s Hospital of Ft. Worth, Texas. February 2006 (invited).

The listen brain: Research to practice. 2006 Early Hearing Detection Intervention (EHDI) Conference. March 2005. Washington DC. (invited).

To develop spoken language in infants – begin with the brain. 2005 Early Hearing Detection Intervention (EHDI) Conference. March 2005. Atlanta, GA. (refereed).

Issues that need to be considered for successful inclusion. Listen to Learn Conference. January 2005. Belfast, Ireland. (invited).

Survey information from families of children using cochlear implants. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. November 2004. Philadelphia, PA. (refereed).

Promoting and providing auditory services in early intervention programs. Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing International Convention. June 2004. Anaheim California. (refereed).

Theory and application of reading and literacy development. .Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing International Convention. June 2004. Anaheim California. (refereed). (with Denise Wray and Lynn Robertson).

The science and art of listening for children with hearing loss. Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association. March 2002. Atlanta, GA. (invited).

Auditory brain development: The foundation of literacy for all children. Kentucky Speech-Language-Hearing Association. March 2002. Louisville, KY. (invited).

School-community performance of auditory-verbal children: An efficacy study. American Speech-Language Hearing Association National Conference. November 2001. New Orleans, LA. (refereed). (with D. Wray).

Listening and literacy. Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, The Human Genome Project and Hearing Loss International Conference. July 2001. Bethesda, MD (invited). (with L. Robertson).

Sound field systems: Impact on special education referrals. American Academy of Audiology National Conference. April 2001. San Diego, CA (refereed) (with S. Long).

Audiological management for the child with a cochlear implant. American Academy of Audiology National Conference. April 2001. San Diego, CA (refereed) (with M. Hamilton and C. Richards).

Sound field systems: latest research. American Academy of Audiology National Conference. April 2001. San Diego, CA (refereed) (with C. Crandell and J. Smaldino).

Assessing the developing brain through cochlear implant technology and auditory-verbal teaching: A perspective for the new millennium. American Academy of Audiology National Conference. March 2000. Chicago IL. (invited). (with D. Goldberg, T. Bradham, & N. Young).

The Impact of hearing loss on child development. New Zealand Audiological Society Conference. July 1999. Auckland, New Zealand. (invited).

Troubleshooting cochlear implants. Auditory-Verbal Israel conference. December 1998. Tel Aviv, Israel (invited).

Cochlear Implants: Collaborating audiologic management, technology, and auditory-verbal communication. American Speech-Language Hearing Association National conference. November 1998. San Antonio, Texas (refereed. (with D. Goldberg, D. Wray, M. Hamilton, H. Rose).

Sound-field FM technology: Enhancing classroom listening for all children. The University of Manchester. January 1998. Manchester, England (invited).

Acoustic phonetics and cochlear implants. University of Puerto Rico. May 1997. San Juan, Puerto Rico (invited).