Advanced hearing evaluations in children

• Hearing testing
• Tympanogram and Acoustic Reflex
• Otocoustic Emission (OAE)
• Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
• Auditory Processing testing

Hearing aid evaluation and fitting

• Real Ear measurement
• Ongoing hearing aid support
• Ear mold, Assistant device fittings and hearing aid loan
• Assistant listening devices
• Talk2 Aural Habilitation Program

Pediatric hearing testing:

No child is too young to have his or her hearing tested! Our testing is customized for each child depending on a number of factors including age and developmental level. Our staff includes some of the finest pediatric audiologists with experience testing children from birth to 18-years-old.Infants who are identified with irreversible hearing loss can be evaluated and fitted for hearing aids. Follow-up evaluations and resource referrals are also provided. Although diagnosing hearing loss and fitting hearing aids in infants and toddlers can be challenging, our experience working with children of all ages and difficulties allows us to provide proper care.

Advanced hearing evaluations in children

At Providence we provide a full range of assessment techniques to evaluate hearing loss in infants and children of all ages. Our available tests include play and visual reinforcement audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex, otoacoustic emissions (OAE), brainstem auditory and evoked response (ABR) and central auditory processing.

Hearing testing:

Our children’s hearing evaluation uses varying tones to measure the degree of hearing loss. Our patients are evaluated in a sound-treated test booth by being presented speech and sounds through earphones or speakers. The type of test is determined by the child’s age and apparent ability. In cases of young children, Providence uses Visual Reinforcement Audiometry which rewards head-turning responses with a lighted toy. We also utilize Play Audiometry which conditions the child to respond to sounds with a play-task such as placing a block in a bucket after hearing tones.

Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflex

Middle-ear dysfunction can be measured and diagnosed using Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflex testing at Providence. These tests can detect fluid in the middle ear, negative middle-ear pressure and disruption of the ossicles, tympanic membrane perforation and otosclerosis. To perform this test we place a small probe in the ear canal and alter the pressure slightly, recording the internal response to sound.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE):

The Otoacoustic Emissions test is an automatic test used in the diagnosis of hearing loss in an infant or other patient who may not cooperate with routine testing. OAE uses a soft probe in the ear canal to measure the echo sounds emitting from within the ear.

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR):

Auditory Brainstem Response testing is designed to asses the hearing thresholds of young children as well as the functionality of the auditory neural pathway. We place small electrodes behind each ear and present sounds using small earphones. The electrodes pick up and record the brain’s response to the sounds and processes them onto a graph.

Central Auditory Processing test (CAPD)

Children with normal hearing sensitivity and are having difficulty in academic learning may suffer from auditory and language difficulties. Our audiologists and speech-language pathologists can evaluate this by the child’s auditory and language skills using repeated words or sentences.

Providence Speech and Hearing Center offers the most state-of-the-art hearing aids from all major manufacturers. Our hearing aids our available in a variety of models, styles, sizes, colors and prices. We advise on the pros and cons of the hearing aids we offer in order to maximize the effectiveness and contribute to the learning of speech, language and academics.

Real Ear Measurement:

Real Ear Measurement is a series of tests used for verification of hearing aid performance. Our computer will show how a patient’s hearing loss can improve with a hearing aid by showing overall volume and areas of amplification with and without the hearing aid.

Ongoing hearing aid support:

Providence continues to monitor the performance of our hearing aids and ear mold fittings with follow-up appointments to ensure that the patient receives the maximum benefit. As a child grows, he or she may require a more sensitive listening system for daycare or school settings. We also advocate for the family and patient as well as offer resources for schools and educators.

Ear mold and swimming plug fittings

In addition to our standard ear molds, we offer noise protectors and swim molds as well as models that can be customized for use with cell phones and iPods. All are available in a variety of colors, styles and textures.

Hearing aid repair and loaner program:

In the case of a problem with your hearing aid, we will loan you an instrument to be used for the duration of your devices’ service. This allows our patients to maintain their listening capabilities should any problem arise.

Assistant listening devices:

In situations with a noisy environment or a need to enhance sound quality, viable alternative listening devices are available. In these cases, we currently make a frequency modulated (FM) system as well as an infrared system available to our patients.

Talk2 Aural Habilitation Program:

The Aural Habilitation Program is a comprehensive group therapy program designed for hearing impaired children and their families. The program emphasizes the use of residual hearing through an amplification device while enhancing the auditory skills in the areas of sound detection, discrimination, identification and comprehension.