Paediatric Hearing Assessment
Hearing assessments for babies as young as 7 months of age are provided at Midwest Hearing Clinic. The type of procedure used to assess your child’s hearing levels will depend on their age or developmental stage. Conditioned 'behavioural' hearing tests are used to reliably assess the hearing levels of infants and children from the age of 7 months, Children's hearing tests can be carried out using either sound-field speakers or insert earphones/ headphones. A range of frequencies, or pitches of sound are assessed, in particular the frequencies that are important for hearing speech sounds.
Visual Reinforcement Audiometry is a standardised test procedure used to reliably test the hearing of children aged from 7 months to 2.5 years. It is a key behavioural test for young children and is central to the diagnostic process.
Play Audiometry is used for children aged approximately 2.5 to 4 years of age and can be described to the child as a ‘listening game’.
Tympanometry is a procedure used to assess the function of the middle ear. It is used to assess the movement of the eardrum and the bones of the middle ear.
Oto-acoustic Emission (OAE) testing is used to assess cochlear or inner ear function. It is a simple procedure that involves placing a soft tip into the ear for a few moments. It is particularly useful in young children as it is an automatic assessment of auditory function.
Speech in Noise testing is used to assess people’s ability to hear in noise. This test can be carried out on children from 5 years of age.
For more detailed information on the audiological assessments provided please click here to visit the GP/ Health Professionals page.
Please note, assessments for children aged under four are carried out at Ennis Clinic.
Play Audiometry is used for children aged approximately 2.5 to 4 years of age and can be described to the child as a ‘listening game’.
Tympanometry is a procedure used to assess the function of the middle ear. It is used to assess the movement of the eardrum and the bones of the middle ear.
Oto-acoustic Emission (OAE) testing is used to assess cochlear or inner ear function. It is a simple procedure that involves placing a soft tip into the ear for a few moments. It is particularly useful in young children as it is an automatic assessment of auditory function.
Speech in Noise testing is used to assess people’s ability to hear in noise. This test can be carried out on children from 5 years of age.
For more detailed information on the audiological assessments provided please click here to visit the GP/ Health Professionals page.
Please note, assessments for children aged under four are carried out at Ennis Clinic.
