Hearing tests for children with speech and language delays
Hearing tests for children with speech and language delays
Hearing problems, even those that are mild, can delay your child's speech and language development. Early screening for hearing problems can help prevent a variety of learning, social, and emotional problems that can be related to speech and language development.1
The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all newborns be screened for hearing loss.2 Call your doctor if at any time you suspect your child has a hearing problem, such as if your baby does not seem to respond to loud noises or your young child is not making sounds or talking at the expected ages.
After an initial examination, your family doctor or pediatrician may suggest a formal hearing evaluation by an audiologist.
An audiologist may check a baby's hearing using several different methods. One method, called otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing, is conducted by placing the small, soft tip of an instrument in a baby's ear canal 
to measure the inner ear's response to sound. In auditory brain stem response (ABR) testing, sounds are emitted from the soft tip of an instrument placed in the baby's ear canal. Three small electrodes placed on the surface of the baby's head record the brain's response to the sound. Both tests are best performed when the infant is quiet.
After 6 months of age, your child may be tested with conditioned play audiometry (CPA). In this kind of testing, children respond to a number of different high- and low-pitch (frequency) sounds, as well as to speech.
References
Citations
Joint Committee on Infant Hearing, American Academy of Pediatrics (2000). Principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Year 2000 position statement. Available online: http://www.aap.org/policy/jcihyr2000.pdf.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2008). Screening for newborn hearing loss. Available online: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsnbhr.htm.
Credits
| Author | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Denele Ivins |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Louis Pellegrino, MD - Developmental Pediatrics |
| Last Updated | January 5, 2007 |
| Last updated: | January 05, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Reviewed By: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Louis Pellegrino, MD - Developmental Pediatrics |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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