Hearing test for Children:

Audiology tests for screening for hearing impairment in children

Statistics indicate that one in six people in Australia has hearing loss. There are different causes of hearing impairment in children, including genetic factors, intrauterine infections, and chronic ear infections (glue ears), among others. Surprisingly, the majority of children with hearing impairment are born to hearing parents. 

Signs of Hearing Impairment in a child

Children experiencing hearing problems would not know they are having difficulty with hearing, as to them it becomes the norm. However, the following signs may point to a problem with hearing as your child develops: –

• Does not respond to loud sounds or their name being called

• Your child does not turn towards the source of a sound

• Limited or poor speech

• Has difficulty with pronunciation and sounds

• Request’s people repeat their words or conversations frequently

• Difficulty with learning

• Frequently inattentive, especially in a classroom

• Speaks loudly

• Listens to digital devices and TV at levels louder than what others require

Effects of Hearing Impairment in Children

The impact of unaddressed hearing impairment can negatively affect young lives. The following are the ways in which hearing loss can affect a child if not detected and addressed early:

Delayed speech development

When a child has hearing impairment, it means that the areas of the brain used for communication did not develop properly. The reduction or loss of the sense of hearing impairs a child's ability to hear speech, making it difficult for him/her to understand what he/she is told. 

Besides being unable to hear speech, a child with hearing impairment is unable to produce and monitor his/her own speech. Since hearing impairment affects both the child's ability to hear speech and the ability to speak, it becomes difficult for a child to communicate with others. 

Inability to engage in age-appropriate activities

Hearing impairment not only causes developmental delays in receptive and expressive communication skills, but it also impedes a child's ability to engage in age-appropriate activities. 

When the areas of the brain used for communication do not develop properly, other cognitive processes, such as cognitive control and executive function processes are affected. As such, a hearing-impaired child may not be able to keep up with other children when it comes to participating in age-appropriate activities.

Difficulty with all areas of academic achievement

Hearing and learning go hand-in-hand. Therefore, the impairment of this function means a lot more than simply struggling to speak and hear. Children with impaired hearing struggle at every stage of their education, with only 43% reaching the expected standard for reading and writing. 

Social problems and feelings of isolation

Being hearing impaired not only prevents a child from taking in new information, but it also leads to social problems as he/she finds it hard to interact, relate to others, and make friends. According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, hearing-impaired children often report feeling isolated and unhappy in school, especially when their socialisation with other children is limited.  

Importance of Hearing Tests for Screening for Hearing Impairment

The earlier you can recognise that your child has hearing impairment, the sooner you can start to treat the problem and have better outcomes. In most cases, hearing tests provide a quick way to determine if a child has hearing impairment. 

Tympanometry

This hearing exam tests the child’s ears' acoustic reflexes. A soft plug is placed in their ear to form different pressure changes and produce sounds. The results will reveal the middle ear reflexive responses and the eardrum movement.  This test also measures if any fluid is behind your eardrum, which is the biggest cause of ear issues in children. 

Visual Reinforcement Orientation Audiometry 

Visual Reinforcement Orientation Audiometry (VROA) is used to assess the hearing of a child aged from 10 months to 3 years. The child is conditioned to turn towards an animated and illuminated puppet when they hear a sound. Again, this test can be performed in free field or under headphones.

Infants under 10 months can have their hearing assessed by observing the infant’s reactions to a variety of noise makers. The infant will startle, pause or look around to certain sounds. However, objective test such as Auditory Brainstem Response Testing and Otoacoustic Emissions are the preferred method for assessing a young infants hearing.

Play Audiometry

Play Audiometry is used for pre-school children from 3 to 5 years where the child plays a “listening” game. The child places a block in a bucket when a “whistle” is heard.

The whistle responses are used to determine his or her performance under headphones to assess each ear on its own, or with a free field speaker to assess the better ear.

Pure Tone Audiometry

This procedure is designed to identify the frequencies and noise levels that his/hers hearing can decipher.

While in a sound-proof booth (has a window so they can see the audiologist/parent), a number of tonal sounds play at various decibels (levels). You will then be asked to distinguish every sound by pushing a button. All your reactions are logged, and your hearing pattern is recorded in a specialised chart known as an audiogram.

Have your Child's Hearing Tested at Totalcare Hearing

If you are located in Sydney then Totalcare Hearing is the right place to get your child’s hearing tested. Our experienced audiologists across our five clinics in Sydney all conduct child hearing assessments from children 9 months and older. Our clinics are welcoming and child friendly.

Why should you consider having your child's hearing tested at our audiology clinic?  Well, we have a team of highly experienced audiologists who receive many referrals from specialists such as GP, ENT’s and Speech Pathologist to have their patients/clients hearing assessed. Our audiologist will write a detailed report on the results and will submit this as required to you and the specialist. 

Are you having doubts about your child's hearing abilities and are wondering whether he/she has hearing impairment? Get in touch with us if you would like to have your child's hearing tested.