The process involves asking specific questions to gather information relating to your concerns, your child’s ear history as well as information on general health and development.

The tests for kids vary depending on the age as well as their ability to pay attention and understand the task.

The following are the most common tests conducted on kids.

Tympanometry (> 0 years)

This test is used to assess middle ear function. It is useful in determining if the middle ear has any abnormal air pressure, detecting the presence of fluid that may be related to a variety of conditions including certain ear infections (otitis media) or even allergies (glue ear), a perforation or dislocation of the ossicular bones in the middle or determining the patency of grommets.

Transient Evoked Otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) (> 0 years)

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) is a test of outer hair cell motility and is used to assess the integrity of the outer hair cells in the cochlea (inner ear). A probe tip is placed in the ear and a series of sounds are presented. No behavioural response however the child must overall be co-operative to tolerate a probe in the ear.

Responses that are produced by the cochlea travel through the middle ear and are recorded in the ear canal by a sensitive microphone placed within the probe. This is a quick, and objective test used to assess cochlear function and to rule out the possibility of at least moderate degree of hearing loss, although TEOAEs may still be present in mild hearing loss.

Visual Response Observation Audiometry (VROA) (< 2 years)

This method requires the infant/toddler to turn the head towards sound stimulus and allows the audiologist to assess the child’s hearing by reinforcing the child’s response with a visual reward. The test can be done in an open sound field (no earphones) by presenting the sounds through speakers. If the child can tolerate, this test can also be done using earphones or insert earphones and bone conductor.

The minimum level at which the child gives a definite head turn to sound stimulus is indicative of child’s ability to hear and gives an estimate of hearing thresholds, including if child has access to conversational speech necessary for speech and language development which is usually critical at this young age.

Play Audiometry (> 2 years)

The child is engaged in some form of play activity such as inserting pegs, building blocks to each sound presentation. This test still requires the child to be co-operative however if the child is attentive the test often provides reliable child’s hearing thresholds across various frequencies.

Pure-tone Audiometry (> 5 years)

Pure-tone Audiometry is used to determine the softest sounds a child can hear. This can be determined using earphones or insert earphones. This is a similar test to what is conducted over an adult.

Speech Audiometry (>2 years)

The purpose of speech audiometry in children is to determine the softest level at which a child can recognise and discriminate words. This is often considered important as it reflects a child’s functional hearing as well as provides correlation with the audiogram.