Hearing Tests & Assessments For Children
Hearing tests for children may be performed a little differently than for adults. At Echo Audiology, we can perform Visual Reinforcement Audiometry, Play Audiometry and Standard Audiometry for children from ages 6 months and up.
Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA)
(Approx. Ages 6 Months-3 Years)
With VRA, we condition your child to respond by turning their head towards the sound, and then reward them with a toy, lights, or other sounds that are located on each side of the Soundbooth. We may sometimes still have a team member of Echo Audiology in the booth, to help with the testing. Essentially, your child does not necessarily need to perform a task, but rather is expected to turn his or her head towards the sound out of curiosity.
Play Audiometry
(Approx. Ages 3-6)
With Play Audiometry, we typically have one of our staff members play with your child inside the Soundbooth while the Audiologist performs the hearing test. Essentially, instead of pressing a button when they hear a sound, we condition your child to play when they hear the sound. For example, we might ask them to add a block on a tower or insert a coin into a game. We can typically use play audiometry from the ages of about 3 to 6, though this may vary depending on the child’s attention and ability to be conditioned.
Standard Audiometry
(Approx. Ages 6-17)
Standard Audiometry is the same type of hearing test that we perform on adults. We basically require your child to respond to a sound they hear by pressing a button, responding verbally or by raising their hand.
