In this section
Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
A small earphone plays clicks into the baby’s ear. If the baby can hear the click we can measure the response of the auditory (hearing) nerve from sensors placed on the baby’s skin. Different sounds may be used to test the different pitches separately. The sounds can be made quieter or louder to estimate the quietest sound your child can hear.
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE’s)
A small soft earphone plays clicks into the baby’s ear. These travel through the middle ear to the cochlea (the hearing organ). If the sound reaches the hair cells in the cochlea and the hair cells are working well they respond by sending a sound back to the ear-canal. This is detected by a microphone.
Play Audiometry
This is where your child is asked to put a man in a boat or a ring on a stick when they hear the sound. We can play sounds through small speakers in to the room which tests both ears working together (soundfield testing), through earphones to test each ear separately, or through a box that vibrates on the bone behind the ear sending sound straight through to the hearing organ.
Speech Testing
Where your child is asked to point to different toys (or pictures) by a recorded voice at different loudness levels.
Tympanometry
This test tells us how well the middle part of the ear is working. A soft tip is placed in the ear for a few seconds. This test can help find out if there is any fluid or congestion in the middle ear. Congestion such as this is often known as “glue ear”.
Visual Reinforcement Audiometry
Where your child turns to see a moving puppet as a reward when they hear the sound. We can play sounds through small speakers into the room which tests both ears working together (soundfield testing), through earphones to test each ear separately, or through a box that vibrates on the bone behind the ear sending sound straight through to the hearing organ.