Child hearing test

When to test a child’s hearing

It is worth booking a test when a child often asks for things to be repeated, turns the television up loud, does not respond when called from another room, speaks unclearly or their speech is developing more slowly than in their peers. Recurrent ear infections, mouth breathing and snoring are also signals, as are worse results at school and difficulty concentrating.

In infants, the warning signs are no reaction to loud sounds, no babbling after 6 months, and not turning the head towards a sound after 9 months. We describe these signs in more detail in the guide My child keeps asking me to repeat myself — is it a hearing problem?.

What the test involves at each age

Infants and children up to about 3 years: otoacoustic emissions (a few minutes, can be done during sleep) and, if needed, ABR, which requires the child to be calm or asleep and takes 45–90 minutes. Tympanometry can be performed in infants as well.

Preschoolers: tympanometry and otoacoustic emissions, which do not require a response from the child, and ABR if needed. From around 6 years of age we use play audiometry, in which the child responds to a sound through play (e.g. putting a block into a box). The tests are carried out by an audiologist experienced in working with children.

Older children: pure-tone audiometry with headphones, as in adults, supplemented by tympanometry.

What happens after the test

The audiologist discusses the result immediately after the test. The most common cause of temporary hearing loss in children is middle ear effusion or enlarged adenoids — in that case the next step is an ENT consultation, available at Sonar Clinic for children too. In the case of permanent hearing loss, we discuss further diagnostics and hearing aid options with the parents.

Prices of the individual tests are listed in the price list. ABR tests are booked by phone, in the evening or on a selected Saturday, at a time convenient for the child.