Hearing Testing for Newborns
Children’s Hearing
Most health authorities have newborn hearing screening service as a matter of course. The screening is generally performed within days of birth, either in hospital or in the community, carried out by a trained hearing screener using an instrument that measures the “echoes” (acoustic emissions) produced when a hearing system is working correctly. This test is very quick and gives an objective indication of hearing ability. This assessment is very much a screening procedure and if a positive response is not obtained then a follow up appointment is arranged.
Health Visitor Hearing Check
Children’s Hearing
Following the newborn screening, there is no formal reassessment of a child’s hearing. Sometimes a school will arrange for a general screening but this is not across the board and it may worth checking with the individual school to clarify their policy. If you cannot rely on an official hearing screening at key points in your child’s life, it is a good idea for you, as a parent or guardian to take note of a child’s ability to respond to sound at different points in their development.
It is also important to note that a child’s hearing ability can fluctuate significantly at different periods throughout their life so it is advisable to notice if anything changes:-
Common behaviours that might indicate your child is not hearing as well as they could be….
- Slower speech development and pronunciation challenges
- Slow to respond to verbal direction and communication
- TV and other sound sources lounder than yourself or siblings are comfortable with.
- Keen to look at your face when you are speaking
- Saying ‘ur’ often
Keeping an Eye on your Child’s Hearing
Children’s Hearing
Certain behaviours may indicate a hearing problem, for example if a child is unusually withdrawn or conversely noisy and attention-seeking. These two extremes depend upon the personality of the child, but both can be indicative of a degree of hearing loss, which may compromise their ability to interact in a group setting. Hearing loss can sometimes be missed and a child’s behaviour linked more to behavioural and educational conditions such as Speech Delay, Dyslexia, Asperger Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Hearing difficulties may be indicated by:-
Children’s Hearing
- Your child is inconsistently responding to sound
- Language and speech development are delayed
- Speech is unclear
- Sound is turned up on electronic equipment (Radio, TV, CD Player, etc.)
- Your child does not follow directions
- Your child often says “Huh?”
- Your child does not respond when called
- Behavioural problems in early years
If your child shows any of these signs it does not necessarily prove that they have a hearing problem, and even if they have, it is unlikely to be permanent. However, it may be worth following up with a simple assessment, either via the GP surgery, who will organise a referral to the audiology department at the hospital, or you can arrange a private assessment of your child’s hearing at Aston Hearing.
