At the Audiology Clinic of Northern Alberta our primary goal is to gain an understanding of your child’s hearing health and hearing status. We also strive to gain this information in a happy, fun, and stress-free way, which may sometimes take more than one appointment.
How do I help prepare my child for his or her hearing test?
- When booking an appointment for younger children, please plan for a time when you think you child will perform the best. Your child’s cooperation is key in getting good results, missing nap times or meals generally makes testing more difficult.
- Work with your child to help them to become comfortable with something being placed in his or her ears for several minutes at a time. Depending on the age and developmental level of your child, having your child listen to music or watch TV using headphones or earbuds may help them get used to wearing something over or in their ears.
- Work with your child to help them become comfortable with someone touching their ears. Regularly touching your child’s ears can help your child get used to this feeling and have it become more normal for them.
- Typically, if your child is two years or older and quite active, the audiologist may engage him or her in an activity that involves listening for sounds. This type of testing allows the audiologist to determine the softest sounds your child can hear by having them complete an action every time they hear the beep.
- o e.g. Every time your child hears “beep beep beep” they will do one of the following:
- Place a block in a bucket
- Drive a toy car off the table
- Put a piece in a puzzle
If you begin playing games like this at home with your child prior to their appointment, your child will be that much more prepared for a happy and successful hearing test.
Why might a hearing test take more than more appointment?
Sometimes if a child is not comfortable with a new environment or some of the components of the hearing test, it may take more time for the audiologist to gather the information they need to have a clear understanding of what is going on with your child’s hearing.
What can I expect to happen at my child’s hearing test?
The audiologist will complete as many of these steps as possible:
1) Look in your child’s ears.
2) Measure how well your child’s eardrums are moving by placing and holding a small plastic tip in your child’s ear for 10 to 20 seconds. Your child must remain still and quiet for this procedure.
3) Measure how well your child’s inner ear is functioning by placing and holding a small plastic tip in your child’s ear for several minutes, during which time your child will hear soft beeps and tones. Your child must remain still and quiet during this measurement.
4) Determine the softest sounds your child can hear. This will typically be measured in a small, quiet sound booth with both you and your child present. Different techniques are used to obtain responses to sound, depending on your child’s age and developmental level. Some approaches include:
a) Having your child turn their head in response to sounds played through a loudspeaker.
b) Teaching your child to play different games in response to sounds while listening through headphones or insert earphones (similar to earbuds). Your child would wear the headphones or earphones for several minutes while remaining relatively calm, attentive and ready to listen.
Why should I postpone a hearing test?
- If you feel that your child will not tolerate having something placed in their ears or having their ears be touched, it may be appropriate to reschedule their appointment to a time when you feel your child may be more ready.
- If your child is feeling ill or showing symptoms such as fever, cough, nausea, etc., we ask that you rebook for a later time when your child is feeling well.
If you have questions about any of this information or how to determine if your child is ready for a hearing test, please do not hesitate to call our clinic at
780-433-4441.