Hearing Testing

Adult Services

A comprehensive evaluation to determine hearing levels and diagnose possible hearing and balance related disorders. Testing to determine candidacy for hearing aids is also included as needed.

Pediatric Services

Children are tested in a variety of ways based on age and level of development. Our pediatric assessments include:

• Newborn hearing screening: The Joint Commission on Infant Hearing recommends all infants have a hearing screening within one month of birth. This screening often occurs before discharge from the hospital, but this is not always the case. The GUHSC provides hearing screenings for babies who have not been screened, were referred for further testing, or have risk-factors associated with hearing. Newborn hearing screenings measure the response to sound of the inner hair cells, auditory nerve, and /or outer hair cells of the cochlea while the infant sleeps.
• Auditory brainstem response (ABR) test:
  • The purpose of the ABR test is to estimate a child’s hearing sensitivity. It allows us to get an idea of hearing levels for infants or children and adults who are unable to participate in conventional testing.
  • During the test, a child will rest/sleep in a quiet environment while listening to multiple “click” sounds through small earphones. Four small electrodes are placed on the mid and lower forehead and earlobes. NO needles are used; the test is painless. The audiologist measures small electrical impulses from the hearing nerve in each ear. These impulses appear as waveforms on a computer screen. The test — similar to an EKG, which measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat — measures the electrical activity of the ear. This test is scheduled for 3 hours to allow time for the child to fall asleep and the audiologist to estimate hearing levels at different pitches.
• Visual reinforcement audiometry: Children aged six-to-30 months can be tested while seated on a caregiver’s lap in a sound-treated booth. The audiologist will teach the child to look for the sound when it is presented. When the child looks for the sound, they will see a light up toy as a reward.
• Conditioned play audiometry: Children between the ages 30 months and 5 years are often tested using this procedure, which involves teaching the child to play a game when they hear a sound. Games include placing a block in a bucket or a cone every time they hear the sound.