Clarke Announces New Director of Center for Audiological Services

Clarke is pleased to announce Dr. Kathryn Girardin as the new Director of the Center for Audiological Services. The Center, newly located in Alexander Graham Bell Hall on the School's Round Hill Road campus, was established 33 years ago to offer quality hearing health care services to both adults and children in the community.

Dr. Girardin brings 13 years of administrative and clinical experience to the Center. "I am pleased to join Clarke's skilled staff and help increase its capacity to assist more people in the community. As our population grows, older people will be looking for help with hearing issues. Our staff will listen to their concerns, help them adjust to hearing loss, and provide them with the technology and knowledge to empower them in their hearing health care," she said.

The Center sees more than 700 clients a year, testing for hearing loss, fitting hearing aids and working with individuals with cochlear implants. All audiologists are licensed, ASHA-certified and provide diagnostic and rehabilitative services in a state of the art and supportive environment.

Dr. Girardin graduated with a Masters degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Connecticut and received her doctorate of Audiology from Central Michigan and the Bill Wilkenson Center at Vanderbilt. She has been instrumental in the development of several audiology programs, in addition to owning a private practice industrial hearing company that assisted businesses in measuring and reducing noise exposure.

The Center for Audiological Services is part of Clarke's Family Center, where families learn about hearing loss and its impact on speech and language development. The Family Center also includes a technology center with assistive devices, two preschool classes and Clarke's educational evaluations program.

Today Clarke impacts the lives of more than 10,000 children and adults annually through its research curriculum development and through teachers and professionals trained at Clarke. More than 500 children and their families receive direct benefit each year from the five schools and educational and support programs.

For more information visit www.clarkeschool.org