Words from an audiologist in pediatrics
May is Speech & Hearing month in Canada! We are grateful for the role that audiologists play in communication health.
The MUHC brings together over 20 audiologists from the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), the Lachine Hospital and the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH), all of whom combine deep expertise with a flexible, team-based approach. Their work is guided by a simple but critical principle: giving each patient access to the right expertise at the right time.
Audiology focuses on evaluating hearing and supporting patients and their families as they navigate hearing loss. Teams specialize across advanced areas such as auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing, vestibular assessments, central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) evaluations, cochlear implants (CI), the Programme québécois de dépistage de la surdité chez les nouveau-nés (PQDSN) and bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHS).
Words from Christine Lemay, professional coordinator of the MCH Audiology Department
Christine Lemay brings both heart and expertise to her role. The most rewarding part, she says, is building trust with children, helping them succeed in ways that their family may not have expected.
“The best comment from parents is when they say at the end ‘I did not think it would work’ or ‘I did not know my child was able to do that!’” Through both observation and creativity, Christine adapts each exam to the child’s needs, often turning tests into games to make the experience comfortable and fun.
Christine also enjoys seeing her colleagues thrive. She says her team is “as tight knit as can be” with staff members working so closely together that they often finish each other’s sentences. Many appointments are conducted with two audiologists working side by side, giving Christine the opportunity to witness her colleagues continually grow and expand their expertise.
Her message to families is simple, but reassuring: “We are interested in each child as a whole, not just their ears! We are ready to adapt to the child's pace and their needs.”
Learn more from Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC)
