If your child has an issue with their hearing, a GP or public health nurse (PHN) may refer them to a hearing specialist (audiologist).
Preparing your baby for a hearing test (0 to 6 months)
There are things you can do to prepare your baby for a visit to the audiologist.
Try to make sure your baby is tired
The hearing test cannot be done unless your baby is asleep. Make sure your baby is tired coming to the appointment so they will sleep during the test.
Try not to feed your baby for at least 90 minutes before the test.
Preparing for your baby's hearing test (video)
Bring enough supplies
Hearing tests take between 1 to 3 hours to do. Bring enough food and nappy changes to cover this time.
Try to bring a friend or relative with you
If you have a long car journey, try to bring a friend or relative who can play with your baby and keep them awake. Babies often sleep during the car journey, which means they arrive at the clinic wide awake.
There are no childcare facilities at audiology centres. If you need to bring other children with you, another adult should come to look after them.
Make sure your baby's head and ears are easy to access
The audiologist needs to access your baby’s head and ears easily. Dress your baby in clothes that are not bulky around their neck. Remove any hats.
Check your buggy to make sure it is not heavily padded around the baby’s head. If possible, remove any padding for the test. A seat that reclines completely flat is the best sleeping and testing position.
Arrive on time
There may not be enough time to do the hearing assessments if you arrive late for your appointment. In this case, you will be offered another appointment.
After you arrive
When you have checked in your baby at reception, you can feed and change them in the waiting area. This can be a chance to settle your baby and get comfortable before the hearing test.
The audiologist will call you into the test room. They will take a history, outline the tests and answer any questions that you may have.
Your baby will need to be in a relaxed sleep for 30 to 45 minutes or more to complete testing. It's a good idea to keep your baby in the buggy or in your arms.
Preparing your child for a hearing test (7 months and over)
There are things you can do to prepare your child during the week before the appointment.
Explain to your child what to expect on the day
Explain to your child that they are going to the clinic where they will have their hearing and ears checked.
You can tell them that:
- they will meet an audiologist and play a listening game with toys
- the audiologist will want to look into their ears - this is similar to getting their temperature checked
Get your child used to objects in or near their ears
If your child is sensitive to anyone touching their ears it may be helpful to practise before the appointment. You can read stories or play games about ears and encourage your child to touch their own ears.
If you have a play doctor’s kit at home you can ask your child to practise looking into your ears, or the ears of their favourite teddy or doll. You can then try looking into your child’s ears.
Practise turn-taking games
You can prepare your child for playing the hearing test game (age 3 years and up).
One game you could try is throwing a ball into a box or putting a block on top of another to build a tower when you do an action or make a sound.
You can also play a “Ready, Steady, Go” game. This tests your child’s ability to wait until the signal and then do the action. This is not to check if your child can hear quiet sounds, but to practise the technique used in the hearing tests.
Parent preparation
Think of any concerns you have about your child’s hearing or any questions you want to ask the audiologist.
Arrive on time
There may not be enough time to do the hearing assessments if you arrive late for your appointment. In this case, you will be offered another appointment.
After you arrive
When you have checked in your child at reception, you can sit in the waiting room until the audiologist calls for you. If your child is under age 4, there will be 2 staff members at the appointment.
When you and your child are settled in the audiology room the audiologist will:
- ask questions about your child's hearing
- outline the tests they will do
- answer any questions you may have
Types of tests
The types of tests your child needs will depend on their age. There are different tests that gather information about your child's ears and hearing.
Acoustical reflex test
When we hear loud sounds, our ears trigger a protective reflex. The reflex tightens the small bones (ossicles) that connect the eardrum to the inner ear.
During this test, the audiologist checks that a muscle tightens the ossicles in response to a sound.
Visual reinforced audiometry (VRA) test
This test is for children between 6 months and 3 years old.
The audiologist will sit your child between 2 boxes or screens that show animations (visual reward). Each of the boxes is next to a loud speaker.
The audiologist will play a sound from the left or right speaker at the same time as showing an animation.
When your child learns to link the sound with the animation, the audiologist will play different sounds. This is to work out what your child can and cannot hear.
Auditory brainstem response (ABR) test
This test is used on young babies and some older children.
To do the test, your child needs to be completely asleep. Older children may need to be sedated if the tests cannot be done properly.
The audiologist will:
- place a small, rubber ear tip in your child's ear canal and sensors on your child's head
- play different tones or clicks to your child
The sensors record the activity in your child's auditory nerve and brain.
Play audiometry
This test is to check the hearing of young children age between 2.5 years and about 4 years.
Your child will wear earphones and be told to do a fun task whenever they hear a sound. For example, holding a block in their hand and putting it into a bucket when they hear a sound.
The audiologist will reduce the volume to work out the quietest sound level your child can hear at different pitches.
Pure tone audiometry
This test is for school-age children upwards.
Your child will wear earphones. They will be told to press a button whenever they can hear a sound.
The audiologist will reduce the volume to work out the lowest sound level your child can hear at different pitches.
Otoacoustic emission (OAE) test
This test measures how well your child's inner ear (cochlea) works. It measures the echo produced by the inner ear and outer hair cells when they respond to a sound.
It's similar to the test that babies have during newborn hearing screening. The audiologist will place a tip in your child’s ear and ask them to try to stay still and quiet for up to 1 minute.
Tympanometry test
This test shows how well your child's eardrum moves when a soft sound and air pressure are played into the ear.
It can help to identify middle ear problems, such as fluid collecting behind the eardrum. The audiologist will place a tip in your child’s ear for a couple of seconds.