About our research

The Hispanic/Latino population is the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. Approximately 20% of the U.S. population identifies as Hispanic/Latino, and nearly 30% prefer to communicate in Spanish. Yet, the number of Spanish-speaking audiologists remains disproportionately low. Even bilingual audiologists may lack the specialized Spanish-language skills needed to provide safe and effective clinical care. We believe that bilingual audiologists and audiology students, when given the tools to strengthen their clinical Spanish, have the potential to expand access to language-concordant audiology services for Hispanic/Latino communities. Therefore, we seek to:

  • Help bilingual (ES/EN) AuD students expand their Spanish language skills by teaching them Medical Spanish specific to hearing services so they can provide safe and effective clinical services to Spanish-speaking patients.

  • Measure their Medical Spanish linguistic skills prior and post taking our curriculum using evidence-based grading tools.

  • Follow up their progress at years 1 and 3 post curriculum to test if they can sustain the language skills acquired.

Pilo Study

Our pilot study received funding from ASHA. Our study goal was to assess our teaching modality, materials, and assessment tool. Participants, who qualified, received two text books and gained access to the Medical Spanish for Audiologists curriculum. Participants met the following criteria:

  • They completed an AuD degree in the U.S. in 2025.

  • They possessed Spanish language skills at an intermediate or advanced level (determined by a validated self-assessment language tool part of the recruitment process).

  • They were able to commit to a 35 hr. course over a peridod of eight weeks (Sept - Oct 2025)

Pilot Study Results

2026 ASHA Convention in Indiana, IN

Our pilot study ran from Sept. to Nov. 2025. Data analysis has been completed and its results will be presented during the 2026 ASHA Convention in Indiana. This will be a technical research in-person session—From Barriers to Bridges: A Pilot Study in Medical Spanish for Audiology Practice—on Saturday November 21st at 8 AM. Presenting authors: Drs. Alejandra Ullauri and Laura Coco.
Register for the 2026 ASHA Convention

Research Team

  • Principal Investigator: Laura Coco, PhD, AuD, San Diego State University

    Dr. Coco is a multilingual audiologist and health services researcher. Dr. Coco received her AuD degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015. She received her PhD from the University of Arizona in 2021 and completed a 1-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC) and Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Coco's research focuses on improving access to hearing healthcare services for Latino adults. Her specialty is the use of a community-based participatory research approach and tele-audiology service delivery as strategies to improve access to hearing healthcare services for rural and under-resourced populations. Her community-engaged, patient-oriented research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, the VA Rural Health Resource Center, and multiple other community and foundation sources.

  • Coinvestigator: Alejandra Ullauri, AuD, MPH, Audiology En Español

    Dr. Ullauri is a bilingual audiologist licensed in the state of Illinois, and the founder of Audiology En Español. Dr. Ullauri is also the author of Audiology Services in Diverse Communities. She is a native Spanish speaker, born and raised in Ecuador. Dr. Ullauri studied Audiology in the U.S. and in Australia, and she has been fortunate to practice the profession in both languages: two years in the United Kingdom, twelve years in the U.S., and seven years in Ecuador. She is a member of the National Association of Medical Spanish and a verified Physician Oral Language Observation Matrix (POLOM) Rater. Dr. Ullauri currently participates as a subject matter expert on pediatric hearing screening methods at the National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety. During the Medical Spanish for Audiologists Pilot Initive, Dr Ullauri will serve as course instructor, virtual live sessions facilitator, final assessment moderator, and POLOM rater.