For the majority of infants and young children, hearing loss screening is the first step in testing for hearing loss. Families of infants who have “failed” their hearing screening or who suspect their child has a hearing loss should visit an audiologist for additional testing.
Audiologists use a variety of different tests to evaluate hearing loss based on the client’s age:
Ages 6 Months – 2 Years
Behavioral testing measures visual and behavioral responses to sound and offers reliable information about a child's hearing. These types of tests are used by audiologists skilled with infants when they are old enough to turn their heads in response to sound, or play a game. These tests measure the quietest sounds your child can hear, your child's ability to understand words and whether fluid or some other obstruction is present in the middle ear.
Ages 3 – 5 Years
“Play audiometry” makes a game out of responding to sounds, and audiologists are able to accurately measure a child's sensitivity to hearing across frequencies.
Ages 5 and Up
In addition to testing threshold of hearing across frequencies, various tests of speech perception and central auditory processing can be administered.
For All Ages
Acoustical Impedance tests can be administered to children of all ages and can help to identify middle ear problems (e.g., presence of fluid and status of eardrum) through a non-invasive and computerized technique.
Parents of children recently diagnosed with hearing loss often wonder how their children will succeed when so much information is communicated through listening and talking. Early identification of hearing loss gives parents the opportunity to gather information about the various communication options for people with hearing loss so that they can make informed decisions about their child's future from the very start.
Providing babies with better quality sound through hearing technology – hearing aids and cochlear implants – and early intervention gives them access to spoken language and allows them to begin learning. Related Resources |