How a hearing assessment works for children (2-5 years)

For children aged 2 to 5 years, the hearing assessment is performed in a soundproofed room with two audiologists. The hearing assessment is performed through play. The child is asked to perform an action, like stacking blocks or throwing them into a basket, every time they hear a sound.

Hearing sounds

Sounds of varying volumes and frequencies are played to the child. Every time the child hears a sound, they are asked to stack blocks to form a tower or throw them into a basket. This allows audiologists to determine the quietest sounds that the child can hear.

Sounds are generally played through headphones (one ear at a time) or speakers. The results are marked on an audiogram, which is a graphical representation of a person’s hearing acuity. Depending on the child’s level of cooperation, this can give a fairly accurate portrait of their hearing.

Results

After a hearing assessment, your audiologist will explain the results and make any necessary recommendations. A meeting with a hearing health professional, such as an ENT specialist, a speech-language pathologist or an audioprosthetist, may be needed.

A report is written after the exam and a copy may be given to the parents.