Newborn Hearing Screenings and Hearing Tests for Children

Infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and school-aged children are referred to our Pediatric Clinic for a variety of reasons: the baby may have failed the hospital newborn hearing screening, the infant may have a persistent ear infection or delayed vocalizations, the toddler may show delayed speech or language, the school-age child may have failed the school screen.

Children who are seen don't think they are being tested. They are never separated from their parents for the hearing test. None of the tests hurt. They are tested with pediatric procedures involving games, light up rewards, and fun on the iPAD.

Procedures measure middle ear and inner ear problems, including perforated ear drums, "fluid in the ear," hearing loss, perceptual problems. Tests include tympanometry, acoustic reflexes, visual reinforcement audiometry, play audiometry, bone conduction, auditory brainstem evoked response with bluetooth compatibility. Bluetooth ABR testing permits the child to move around. Infants received the Distortion Product Otoacoustic emission test and/or ABR and high frequency tympanometry.

Services for children include:

• Newborn hearing screenings and evaluations reported to TDH Infant Follow-Up Program
• Diagnostic Hearing Evaluations
• Visual Reinforcement and Conditioned Play Audiometry
  • Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) is a test used in the sound booth with the child seated on the parent's lap.  When an interesting sound is presented thru a speaker or an earphone, the child will turn her/his head to the sound and is rewarded with an animated toy that lights up in a box. This is a good test for babies aged 6 months to 18 months.  Normal hearing babies will consistently turn to sounds as soft as 0-15dB.  This enables the audiologist to test each ear at many pitches.
  • Older babies and toddlers who bore easily with VRA may respond to play audiometry.  Depending on the motor skills, a baby is taught to respond with a toy each time she/he hears a sound.  They think this is a lot more fun!
• Tympanogram
  • Tests of the middle ear are quick. A tympanogram will tell if the eardrum is moving back and forth correctly, if there is a hole or perforation in the ear drum, and if there is fluid in the middle ear.  Abnormal results usually indicate a conductive hearing loss in that ear. Sometimes, the abnormal results point to a problem with the movement of the ossicles, the three tiny bones In the middle ear.
• Otoacoustic Emissions
  • Appalachian Audiology can test hearing in newborns as young as a few hours old using a diagnostic test called Otoacoustic emissions. Two types of otoacoustic emission testing are available at Appalachian Audiology:  Distortion Product and Transient Evoked otoacoustic emissions.  Both tests capitalize on the discovery that a normal cochlea, the hearing organ in the inner ear, will generate a sound in response to a sound, and the generated sound can be recorded at every pitch with normal hearing sensitivity present.
• Auditory Processing Evaluations and Treatment
• Bluetooth ABR Testing
• Hearing Aid Fitting using DSL probe microphone measures
• FM Systems
• Speech Therapy
• Custom Ear Molds
• Swim Molds

Should I See an Audiologist?

Many times hearing loss goes undetected for years before being diagnosed and properly treated.

You can take a short hearing self-test and see if you currently experience any conditions that are indications of hearing loss.

If you are experiencing any hearing loss have your hearing tested by an ASHA certified audiologist.

Appalachian Audiology's Green Team Initiatives.

130 Mabry Hood Road, Suite 103   |   Knoxville, TN 37922   |   tel: (865) 357-2334   |   fax: (865) 357-2416