A Self Hearing Test for Your Child
If you are considering whether your child may have some level of loss of their ability to hear, an at-home hearing test can answer many of your questions and, potentially, provide you with some reassurance.
Though most children should have annual screenings throughout their lives, it is very common for problems to develop rapidly or go undetected by a school nurse.
Rather, it is best to turn to professionals whenever you think your child may have some type of loss present.
Sometimes, you can gauge the need for such a thorough evaluation by simply conducting a basic screening on your own.
What to Do If you feel that your child may have some level of loss present, it is a good idea to talk to him or her about the problem if the child is old enough to do so.
In other cases, use a hearing test you can do at home to guide you in making a specialist appointment.
If your child has any of the following symptoms or behaves in these ways, it is a good idea to turn to a audiologist about the situation.
-Does the child see to inconsistently respond to various types of sound? -How many times during the day does your child request that you repeat yourself so he or she can understand what you are saying? -Does your child have any level of language development concerns? -Does your child lack the same speech skills that other children his or her age has? -Does the child follow directions (sometimes it may seem as though the child is just being stubborn, but it may be related to the child's ability to hear instead.
) -How often do you need to call your child before he or she will respond to you? -Is your child's speech hard to understand? -When your child plays with toys with sound or when he or she turns on the television, is there a need to turn up the volume? If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms or behaviors, it is a good idea to talk to your family doctor about your potential concerns.
Your doctor can conduct a basic screening in the office to determine if there is a problem.
From there, you may need to see a specialized audiologist for more thorough screenings and evaluations.
Do not put off these types of concerns.
A lack of the ability to hear can often cause development problems in a child especially those who are in school.
This basic hearing test may not be enough.
Rather, you should talk to your child's doctor at least annually about this need.
Though most children should have annual screenings throughout their lives, it is very common for problems to develop rapidly or go undetected by a school nurse.
Rather, it is best to turn to professionals whenever you think your child may have some type of loss present.
Sometimes, you can gauge the need for such a thorough evaluation by simply conducting a basic screening on your own.
What to Do If you feel that your child may have some level of loss present, it is a good idea to talk to him or her about the problem if the child is old enough to do so.
In other cases, use a hearing test you can do at home to guide you in making a specialist appointment.
If your child has any of the following symptoms or behaves in these ways, it is a good idea to turn to a audiologist about the situation.
-Does the child see to inconsistently respond to various types of sound? -How many times during the day does your child request that you repeat yourself so he or she can understand what you are saying? -Does your child have any level of language development concerns? -Does your child lack the same speech skills that other children his or her age has? -Does the child follow directions (sometimes it may seem as though the child is just being stubborn, but it may be related to the child's ability to hear instead.
) -How often do you need to call your child before he or she will respond to you? -Is your child's speech hard to understand? -When your child plays with toys with sound or when he or she turns on the television, is there a need to turn up the volume? If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms or behaviors, it is a good idea to talk to your family doctor about your potential concerns.
Your doctor can conduct a basic screening in the office to determine if there is a problem.
From there, you may need to see a specialized audiologist for more thorough screenings and evaluations.
Do not put off these types of concerns.
A lack of the ability to hear can often cause development problems in a child especially those who are in school.
This basic hearing test may not be enough.
Rather, you should talk to your child's doctor at least annually about this need.
