Hearing tests for children with speech and language delays
Hearing problems, even those that are mild, can delay your child's speech and language development. Early screening for hearing problems can help prevent a variety of learning, social, and emotional problems that can be related to speech and language development.1
Call your health professional if at any time you suspect your child has a hearing problem, such as if your baby does not seem to respond to loud noises or your young child is not making sounds or talking at the expected ages.
After an initial examination, your family health professional or your child's pediatrician may recommend a formal hearing evaluation by an audiologist.
An audiologist may check a baby's hearing using several different methods. One method, called otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing, is conducted by placing the small, soft tip of an instrument in a baby's ear canal to measure the inner ear's response to sound. In auditory brain stem response (ABR) testing, sounds are emitted from the soft tip of an instrument placed in the baby's ear canal. Three small electrodes placed on the surface of the baby's head record the brain's response to the sound. Both tests are best performed when the infant is quiet.
After 6 months of age, your child may be tested with conditioned play audiometry (CPA). In this kind of testing, children respond to a number of different high- and low-pitch (frequency) sounds, as well as to speech.
Although many states in the United States require newborn hearing tests for all babies born in hospitals, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has not made an official recommendation for or against routine screening.2 Talk to your doctor about whether your child has been tested.
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: January 5, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Louis Pellegrino, MD - Developmental Pediatrics | |
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