Birth to 5 Years Old
The first few months and years of our lives are spent building the foundation for everything we will learn as we grow. Hearing is an integral part of learning process. This is why early diagnosis and intervention of hearing loss in children is so important.
If you are concerned that your child may not be meeting expected developmental milestones for their age, you can speak with your family doctor or consider booking an appointment with a registered audiologist. In Ontario, a physician’s referral is not required to schedule an audiology appointment.
An OAE test is an examination that determines if your child’s cochlea is healthy by measuring otoacoustic emission sounds, a very soft sound generated by the inner ear. The test involves a few tones of various pitches being played through a spongy tip placed in the ear canal. The responses are recorded and analyzed by our audiologists.
If your child has passed their newborn hearing screening, a routine test should be done before entering school. If your child is not meeting speech and language milestones, a hearing test should be conducted sooner. If they don’t pass their screening at birth, that’s when we recommend a comprehensive hearing test, which includes an ABR test, as soon as possible. Ideally, hearing tests should be conducted every 3 to 5 years. If hearing loss is present, we recommend more frequent testing, usually once a year. If you notice any sudden changes in your child’s talking or listening, you should schedule an appointment immediately.
The signs and symptoms of hearing loss are different for each child. For babies, signs include not being startled at loud noises or turning to the sound source, not babbling long or short groups of sounds, and not saying their first word by one year of age. For young children, delayed, limited or unclear speech, frequently inattentive listening, difficulty learning and failing to respond to conversation-level speech are signs to notice. We can help determine if hearing loss is a factor in causing these behaviors in your children.
Ensure your child avoids putting any objects in their ear, such as a cotton swab, and keep them away from loud noises or ensure they wear hearing protection. Routine hearing tests at our clinic are crucial to identify any hearing loss.
