Educational Audiologist Moves Forward—and Gives Back

Abstract

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderIn the Limelight1 Jun 2011Educational Audiologist Moves Forward—and Gives Back Kellie Rowden-Racette Kellie Rowden-Racette Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.LML.16072011.20 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/110607/In-the-Limelight--Educational-Audiologist-Moves-Forward—and-Gives-Back.htm Sometimes it’s hard to move forward while you’re giving back, but educational audiologist Mike Macione is doing just that. Macione, an audiologist for the past 25 years, is in an enviable position. Macione absolutely loves his job and can’t see himself doing anything else. At the same time, he’s giving back by serving the professions—he is 2012 president-elect of the Educational Audiology Association (EAA) and has written a chapter on educational audiology in a recently published e-book on early hearing detection and intervention (see sidebar). “My wife always tells me that I’m the happiest ’job person’ she knows,” he said. “But really I don’t know any audiologists who don’t love their jobs. I know people in other professions who are close to burnout. I can’t see that happening to me.” Mike Macione and his wife, Margot Beckerman, both audiologists, enjoy a hike at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in northern Michigan. As a young man growing up in Connecticut, Macione had a mentor—his high school biology teacher—who was married to an audiologist. It was the first time Macione had heard of the field and he thought it was interesting. As fate would have it, during his sophomore year at the University of Connecticut, Macione had a stapedectomy, which resolved some hearing loss he had been experiencing. His recovery involved working with audiologists, a process that only further piqued his interest in the field. He took some classes, got hooked, and chose his career path. After graduate school, he began working with children at what is now called the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services, providing school services to students with multiple disabilities. In 1989, he met his future wife, fellow audiologist Margot Beckerman, at ASHA’s national convention. The couple married and moved to her home state of Michigan in the early 1990s. Shortly after relocating, Macione was hired by the Jackson County Intermediate School District and has been there ever since. He provides educational audiology services to all the schools in the county, and diagnostic services to Head Start and other early childhood programs. He loves what he does, but still says that he needs to explain to people what educational audiologists actually do. “For example,” he explained, “if there’s a student in fifth grade with a hearing loss, I’m going to determine what I have to do to make sure that student has a successful school year.” He said his favorite part is the interaction with the teachers and the students. “I love seeing the students’ successes. When I see a student succeed, that’s what makes me happiest.” But Macione’s efforts certainly don’t stop at the schoolyard. He’s always believed in being a part of organizations and since his arrival in the Wolverine State, Macione has been on the board of the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA), and also served as the president of the Michigan Educational Audiology Association. Through those two organizations he continued to meet people throughout the country, and eventually was elected EAA’s 2012 president. His wife, Margot Beckerman, is also giving back to the professions—she is MSHA vice president for audiology practice and serves on ASHA’s Audiology Advisory Council. “Being a part of national organizations like ASHA and EAA has opened up doors, opportunities, and relationships for me that I wouldn’t otherwise have,” Macione said. “I wish people could understand how important it is to get involved and give back because you get so much in return.” ContactMike Macione, AuD, CCC-A,at[email protected]. New E-Book Michael Macione is co-author with Cheryl DeConde Johnson of “The Role of Educational Audiologists in the EHDI Process,” a chapter in the second edition of A Resource Guide for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention. To access the chapter, visit the National Center for Hearing Assessment’s website. Author Notes print and online editor for The ASHA Leader, can be reached at[email protected]. Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 16Issue 7June 2011 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Jun 1, 2011 Metrics Downloaded 184 times Topicsasha-topicsleader_do_tagleader-topicsasha-article-typesCopyright & Permissions© 2011 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...