Children's Hearing

As young children develop, it is important to monitor their hearing. Hearing loss doesn't necessarily mean you can't here at all. If you notice your child doesn't respond from a distance, their words don't seem clear or there are delays in speech and language development hearing loss may be the cause.

As children use their hearing to learn about the world around them and expand communication skills. Hearing loss in a child is quite different from the effects of hearing loss in adults.

Based on their age, we have a range of tests that can be used to check their hearing capabilities.

Visual Reinforcement Orientation Audiometry (VROA) (7 months to 3 years old)

For children 7 months to approximately 3 years we use a specialised test called Visual Reinforcement Orientation Audiometry (VROA). This test involves a child turning their head towards a loudspeaker when they hear the presented sound. The audiologist will condition them to turn to the sound and will reward them with a puppet box show. Children soon learn that when they hear the sound, the puppet is there if they look around. This test is conducted in our fully sound treated and calibrated room.

Play Audiometry (3 years +)

We perform hearing tests for children by asking them to respond to sounds by using toys and games. When the child hears a sound through the headphones, they will be instructed to put a toy in a bucket, press a fun button or use a car race game in response to hearing the sound.

Tympanometry (Ear Pressure Test)

This tests the middle ear system (ear drum and ossicles) by blowing a small puff of air into the ear canal. With this test we can determine how well the eardrum is moving, check for any fluid build up and look at the Eustachian Tube function.