I’m Danica Billingsly – known by most students and many patients as Dr. B. – an audiologist at NIU. While I see school aged kids through geriatrics for general audiological care, my specialties include tinnitus and sound sensitivity as well as hearing devices and rehabilitation. I also work with colleagues to provide cerumen (earwax) management, support cochlear implant care, vestibular care, and auditory processing evaluations. The reason I most enjoy working with folks who have noisy or sensitive brains is that I find real joy in listening enough to understand the individual as a whole being – social, family, work, body, brain etc. – as a critical part of figuring out their experience and what we might be able to do to help them feel better.

I’m pan, and while I mark cis in the checklists, that’s because there isn’t a demigirl category. I’m also the parent of a nonbinary young adult and a trans son. The majority of my immediate and extended family members consider themselves queer and neurodivergent. To ensure that I’m not focusing only on my personal experience silos, I’ve also attended university and private trainings for disability advocacy, intersectionality, general/overall LGBTQIA+ allyship, as well as documentation status allyship.

Where this comes into play in my clinical work, is that I want to work with you in whatever way you want to be yourself with me. I don’t view pressing someone to “come out” to me as being a symbol of my success as a provider; my goal is to be open to whoever you are comfortable being when you’re with me and respecting the boundaries of that choice.

Gender: I understand the difference between sex, gender, and gender identity as well as social and legal names, and will take whatever measures are necessary to both respect and protect you. In our intake paperwork, we ask how you’d like to be referred to – feel free to be explicit there “pronouns are ABC123, please use name ABC123”, or just write “please ask me” and we’ll have a private conversation if you want in a safe place, and I’ll take pains to avoid potentially deadnaming you. I am comfortable respectfully discussing the intersection of any affirming medical care on your audiological needs, and celebrating gender euphoria experiences.
Sexuality: Bring your partner(s) with you to appointments, and I promise to ensure that my documentation matches the wording you prefer while I will respect their importance in your life.
Neurodiversity/Mental Health: My booth has dimmable lights, half flourescent, half track, and I am able to accommodate most levels of claustrophobia. I am familiar with tourettes/tic disorders, understand sensory overwhelm, and am patient with folks who feel anxious with providers. I do not usually wear a lab coat. I have fidgets available in-booth, and am happy to work with you on any movement/sensory needs to keep your appointment as comfortable as possible. I’ve completed several forms of mental health first aid and suicidality assessment trainings, all of which included cultural sensitivity regarding law enforcement involvement. I and my office staff are familiar with PTSD and can accommodate for waiting room triggers with private areas to complete paperwork, and designated office contact people.
Sensory Needs: I am qualified to evaluate misophonia, and take care to avoid identified or likely triggers. I have trained my office staff to understand that folks with extreme sound sensitivity may need to wait for their appointments in a quiet area away from the waiting room and we’ve accommodated for that as well.
Documentation Status: Our clinic is a HIPAA compliant clinic. Under HIPAA, we do not allow anyone who is not a trained student, faculty, staff member, or scheduled patient through our clinic doors. I respect personhood, not paperwork.

I do have doctoral audiology students with me during much of my week. Students who rotate with me are carefully taught to respect all of the above elements of care, and if there is conflict between patient need and student presence, patient need wins.