The Importance of Hearing Test

A child with normal hearing develops hearing skills in stages:

Detection	Child shows awareness of speech or sound. They detect it but don’t understand what it means.
Discrimination	Child recognizes that some sounds are the same or different.
Identification	Child understands simple words, phrases, sentences, along with building memory.
Comprehension	Child understands longer and more complex language.

Source: www.audiologyonline.com

Screening Hearing Test

Screening is a brief test to tell if your child has a hearing loss.
Babies should be screened no later than 1 month old.
If your child did not pass the screening test, then your child need a full
hearing test.
- Source: CDC Screening and Diagnosis
Further Information:
- Can Your Baby Hear You?
- Video: Newborn Hearing Screening
Resource for Parents: New York State Department of Health

Audiological Evaluation

Also known as “full hearing test,” which determines the types of hearing loss.
There are different types of full hearing tests.
Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) gives information about the inner ear, which is also known as cochlea.
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) are “the sounds given off by the inner ear when the cochlea is stimulated by the sound.”
Pure-Tone Testing determines the “faintest tones” a person can hear from low to high sound levels.
Speech Testing includes Speech Reception Threshold (SRT), which determines the “faintest speech that can be heard half of the time.”
Tests of the Middle Ear give information on how the middle ear is functioning. Tests include tympanometry, acoustic reflex measures, and static acoustic impedance.
Source: Different Types of Hearing Tests (ASHA)
The results of full hearing tests are confirmed within 3 months, and your child may be enrolled in early intervention programs within 6 months.
Resource for Parents: Hearing Loss Association of America

Educational Options:

Auditory Verbal: Your child will learn through listening and spoken language.
Auditory Oral: Your child will learn through listening and visual cues.
Cued Speech: Your child will learn through hand cues.
Total or Simultaneous communication: Your child will learn sign language while talking.
American Sign Language: Your child will learn sign language without talking.
Source: Ways to Communicate with a Child with Hearing Loss
Resources for Parents: Communication Options, Early Intervention, and CDC Resources

– Angie