Children's Hearing Test | Sonant Hearing Clinic, Kent

Typically, we see children starting from around age 5 based on their developmental readiness. If you have any questions about whether your child is ready for an assessment with us, Please contact us directly to discuss how we can best support your child’s unique circumstances. A letter may be required from the child’s school or GP requesting the child’s hearing test.

What if my child is nervous or scared about the hearing test?

We try to make the experience as fun and comfortable as possible. We have worked with children in private, community and specialist hospitals. We are experienced at adapting the hearing assessment process to suit your child’s preferences.  

How to prepare your child for their hearing test and make the experience enjoyable:

Practice at home:

Our ears are particularly sensitive to touch. This is especially the case for children. Prepare the child by having their ears touched, this could be as you would affectionately do as a parent or also within a "hearing game". You can explain that we may need to “shine a torch into the ear to see what it looks like inside”.  You could also play a pretend hearing game with earphones or headphones in their ears to help the child have an idea of what they would be doing.

Explain the process:

 Describe the hearing test simply. "It's like listening to sounds through headphones, similar to music or a movie and telling the other person if you can hear the sound or what you can hear".

Bring comfort items:

Children can bring their favourite toy or comfort item along to the appointment.

Be present:

We encourage parents to stay with their child during the test for reassurance, but also we encourage the parent not to attempt to perform the test for the child.

Stay positive:

Maintain a positive attitude and reassure your child that the test is safe and painless. If parents are calm then the child is likely to be reassured and calm as well.

Some Signs of Hearing Loss in children 

General signs of Hearing Loss in children include 

• Child may seem to ignore others when spoken to or called. (This can be mistaken as a behavioural issue).

• Child may not follow simple instructions.

• Child may speak too quietly or too loudly.

• Child may prefer the volume on audio devices louder than others.

• The child watches more closely than usual when you get their attention and speak.

• Speech delay may occur.

• May mispronounce or omit certain sounds from speech.

• For babies, the personal child health record (Red Book) has a checklist that can be used to track your child's hearing as he or she grows.

Signs of Hearing Loss in school aged children (5+ years)

• Poor concentration or shortened  attention

• May struggle with school work. 

• May complain of ear discomfort or sounds in their ear(s)

• May have difficulty knowing where sounds are coming from

• May appear withdrawn or extremely frustrated in noisy environments. 

Common Causes of Hearing Loss in Children

Ear Infection (Otitis Media or Otitis Externa):

Media refers to the middle ear space behind the eardrum. Externa refers to the ear-canal (external auditory meatus) leading up to the eardrum. Otitis means infection.

With otitis externa this infection of the ear canal can occur often in humid, warm climates following contact with contaminated water from dechlorinated pools, lakes, and ponds.  Allergic response to certain irritants in soaps or shampoos used around the ears. You will need to see your doctor to receive medical treatment for this. If there is a buildup of debris in the ear canal, we can help to remove this after medical treatment is completed. (Ear wax removal at Sonant Hearing, Clinic)

Acute Otitis Media is an infection of the middle ear. The child may present a fever, feel sick and have trouble hearing. It would be best to see your doctor in this case initially. Infections would also present with ear-ache, sensitivity or discomfort, and ear examination may present inflammation or redness. Sometimes there can be buildup of fluid in the middle ear. Chronic fluid buildup can eventually result in the fluid to thickening and becoming glue-like leading to glue ear.

Glue Ear (Otitis Media with effusion): 

This is the buildup of fluid in the middle ear space. (The region behind the eardrum and inner ear). It is common in children and it resolves by itself over time. If it keeps recurring or doesn't resolve on its own, then fluid can thicken over time. Hence the name - glue ear. Getting your child to blow their nose often can help with the speeding up the natural drainage of the fluid. If simple methods don't help, then you may need to see an ENT Doctor who may suggest "grommets" to help the fluid drain out of the middle ear. 

Earwax build-up: 

Sometimes wax can build up within the narrow ear canals of a child. The ear canal is like a slow-moving conveyor belt gradually pushing wax out of the ear canal. When wax is out of the ear canal we can easily wipe it away. It is not recommended to put any cotton buds or Q-tips inside the ear canal. This may push the wax further back inwards and disrupt the ear's own natural rhythm for pushing wax outwards. 

The wax could get stuck in an unnatural position then build up and harden over time. Sometimes, a child might have particularly narrow canals or ear canals with natural turns that do not support the natural migration of wax outwards. Your doctor may issue some drops to use, and we can help remove the obstructing wax gently with a tiny vacuum. 

Why children’s hearing assessments are important.

 Children need to have good hearing to continue to develop good speech, language and balance. Your child’s hearing is important for them to understand speech around them and speak clearly.  Mild hearing concerns could affect how a child speaks and learns new words. This could also affect their learning at school and how confident they may feel around others, including making friends and social development.

 The average child’s hearing system doesn’t fully mature until they are around 12. As they approach that age they need to continue to hear as optimally as possible. Hearing assessments can help us identify these problems on time and take the necessary action. Sometimes, if these problems continue, we may need to refer your child to see an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist for further care. Early testing and treatment help prevent hearing issues from affecting your child’s growth and learning.

Reference and Helpful Links:

Assessment of Hearing Loss in Children. page 472. J. Katz (Ed.), Handbook of clinical audiology (7th ed.)

Pure Tone Audiometry in Young Children. Page 161. B. McCormick Paediatric Audiology 0-5 Years (3rd ed.)

NICE guidelines : Recommendations | Otitis media with effusion in under 12s | Guidance | NICE 

NHS: Ear infections - NHS