Hearing Healthcare for Children

See an Audiologist with your baby or child if he or she:

• Does not startle with a loud, sudden sound
• Does not show a general awareness of sound by alerting, quieting, or turning to sound when they can move voluntarily, or turns consistently in the wrong direction.
• Does not speak the same way as other children of the same age. Hearing is the incoming channel for speech and language development. Even a small loss of hearing can impact the development of speech, language, auditory processing reading, spelling, and learning skills which can have a lifetime effect on your child’s optimum development.
• Does not respond when they are not looking at you.
• Complains that they can’t hear a teacher or other person.
• Has difficulty concentrating, or has trouble remembering verbal instructions.
• Moans or complains about a sore ear, or tugs on an ear.
• If your child tells you that they can’t hear, LISTEN to them.
• If your child demonstrates ear pain or discharge, see your medical doctor for treatment but have your child’s hearing checked afterwards.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that a baby’s hearing should be tested before one month of age. If your baby did not pass a hearing screening test, or you have any concerns, you should have a full assessment before six weeks, or at least before 3 months of age.

iCAN Audiologists recommend that children should have annual hearing screenings until they reach their teens. In fact, because of the risky listening behaviours of most teenagers, this could be extended to the age of 20, so that your child is properly educated about the dangers of excessive sound.

At an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing assessment of your child, you can expect a thorough, age-appropriate evaluation tailored to your child’s developmental stage. Your audiologist will use a combination of behavioural and physiological tests to determine if your child has hearing loss, and if so, its type, degree, and configuration. Key components of the appointment typically include:

Case history and discussion: Your audiologist will ask about your child’s medical and developmental history, any concerns you have regarding hearing, speech, and behaviour, and family history of hearing loss.

Behavioural observation: For very young children, your audiologist observes natural responses to sounds to obtain information about hearing behaviours in communication.

Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA): For toddlers and very young children, this test rewards the child with lights or animated toys when they respond to sounds, helping to estimate hearing thresholds in a fun and engaging way.

Conditioned Play Audiometry: For older children able to follow instructions, this method involves playing games that require the child to respond to sounds, allowing for more precise hearing measurements.

Physiological tests including:

• Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE): A small probe emits sounds into the ear and measures echo responses from the cochlea to assess inner ear function. This is quick, non-invasive, and painless.
• Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): Reading electrodes (harmless) are placed on the child’s head to measure brainwave responses to sounds, especially useful for infants or children unable to participate in behavioural tests.
• Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflex Testing: Assess middle ear function and reflexes.
• Hearing thresholds and hearing loss determination: Your audiologist integrates results from behavioural, physiological, and electrophysiological tests to accurately profile your child’s hearing across frequencies.

Counselling and next steps: After testing, your audiologist will explain the findings, discuss implications, and if hearing loss is detected, talk about treatment options such as hearing aids or further medical evaluation.

Duration: The assessment may take anywhere from one to a few hours depending on the child’s age, cooperation, and required tests. Multiple visits may be needed for comprehensive evaluation.

Environment: Testing is usually done in a soundproof booth or quiet room designed for children, with age-appropriate toys and distractions to keep the child engaged.

Overall, the appointment is personalized, carefully structured, and may combine objective measures (like OAE or ABR) especially designed for infants or difficult-to-test children, with interactive behavioural tests as the child grows. Your audiologist will communicate clearly with you throughout, supporting you in understanding the results and planning follow-up care or interventions.

This process ensures early and accurate identification of hearing issues, which is crucial for effective intervention to support your child’s speech, language, and social development.