Options For A Pure Tone Hearing Test In Children
In some cases, doctors may believe your child has the need for a hearing test
. This may be due to his or her behavioral or developmental conditions that may warrant determining if the child has any type of ability to hear. If there is a suspected amount of loss in the ability to hear, one of the tests that your doctor may have your child have is called a pure tone screening. Since children even as young as toddlers may need this type of screening, doctors have changed the way it is performed so that children can better perform during it.No Headphones You Say?
One of the first concerns parents may have is whether their child will wear headphones for this type of hearing test. Though earphones or headphones are the most common method used for testing, it is not always necessary. Your doctor can also use what is called a sound-field screening in which speakers are placed in the sound booth to help your child to participate. In this situation, there is no ability to determine if just one ear is problematic or if both are. For that reason, further testing is often necessary.
Using Visuals Works Well
The second component that can be challenging for some children is communicating the sound's presence. Rather than trying to alert the tester of the sound's presence through raising a hand or pressing a button, visual reinforcement is often used. It works well for children who are even as young as six months of age. The child is trained to look to the sound's source. When the child takes the action required, he or she is given a reward for doing so. This type of testing does take slightly longer to perform but it can be very effective in younger children.
Conditioned Play Audiometry
Another option that doctors can use is called conditioned play audiometry. This is often done in toddlers and preschoolers, up to the age of five. The child is taught to perform a specific action every time a sound is heard. For example, the child may need to put a block in the box when a sound is heard. This can help to get the test done so that it is fully understood if the child has any type of hearing problems.
Doing any type of hearing test can be difficult with children. With the pure tone test, which all of these actions contribute to, the goal is to find out what the faintest sound heard is. These methods make it easier for the doctor to understand what sound that is so that treatment, if necessary, is required.
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