So my Theodore is getting his hearing tested on Wednesday. But, he still doesn't really talk or respond when you talk to him, but his OT is helping slowly. Anyway, I was just wondering if any of you have been to this test and can kind of tell me what to expect, especially since he can't talk and won't do what they tell him to (like put a ball in the bucket when you hear a sound). Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it.
Thanks for the info and the support. Theodore will be 2 at then end of the month and they are trying to rule out a hearing issue before he goes in to be tested for Autism in June.
Thanks especially to Dawn, and yes, he has speech 2x a week, once with early intervention, and once with a speech therapist where he also does physical therapy for his scoliosis and torticollis. He just started at Sensory Kids for his SPD and this seems to be making a HUGE difference and he its only been 2 weeks, so 4 appointments.
My experience was the same as Dawn's. My son was almost 2 and he sat on my lap in a sound proof room. The tester observed him while making sounds come from different directions.
Updated
My experience was the same as Dawn's. My son was almost 2 and he sat on my lap in a sound proof room. The tester observed him while making sounds come from different directions.
ETA - The test Christy J is referencing is called a tympanogram. I wouldn't be surprised if they do one of those too, M.. When you look at it, it should look like a spiky mountain - if it's flat, then his pressure is "off".
Original:
My son was 2 and not able to say anything but vowels. He was compliant, but they didn't have balls in buckets - they had a quiet booth that I sat in a chair in the middle of. On each side of the door there was a figure like a bear or a monkey, something to catch his interest. The person testing him could see him and would watch his reactions during the test because the sounds were "coming from" the figures. That's how we did it.
I don't know how old Theodore is, but they will work this through with him. You have an ENT working with him, and hopefully a speech therapist along with the OT.
Good luck!
Dawn
My grandson had a hearing test around 8 or 9 months. He didn't even respond to a drum being hit behind his head. I know they know what they're doing and I wish I could tell you more but they can tell if he hears some sounds. It won't be as detailed as it would be if he could hear them but they'll be able to find out what ranges he can hear and what he can't.
It was the best thing that happened to my grandson. They doc suggested they do tubes in his ears just to see if it would help. Then a few months later he suggested they go back in to put in a cochlear implant.
When the doc went in he found all sorts of debris left over from old ear infections that antibiotics had not touched. That baby had been on Zithromax several times for ear infections and I know he got his meds.
The doc cleaned out the ear canals and put the tubes in. When my little grandson woke up he could hear again. It totally freaked him out of course but he could hear. No more surgeries, no implant!
I hope if the docs find anything wrong in the hearing test it's fixable and that he will be able to hear.
when my 14 month old was tested at the ent, they did a pressure test where they evaluated ear drum movement. It was a diagnostic to demonstrate the pressure exerted by the build up of fluid, etc for ear tubes. So, not sure what type of hearing test T is going for, but that was my experience with tests.
Same as Dawn's response..... my daughter had her son tested.....
When we had ours done, my son was 2.5 and not very verbal. We were in a sound booth, the speakers with the sound were slightly behind us. They had baby donald and baby micky that lit up when he looked appropriately as his "reward."
There were other tests done as well, but this was the first for us. They also had tests were things were put IN his ear (hated those personally) but they yeilded the most accurate according to the ENT.
Depending on what is going on is how they will test.
Just wanted to say, read the responses from moms who have "been there" but they are truly phenomenal at testing for hearing loss in kids.
I know a mom whose newborn's hearing loss was identified on the first day of his life. So a toddler, no matter how nonverbal, has GOT to be easier, right?
All the best!
My daughter was also hearing testing--several times, in fact--when she was younger and before she could talk.
They have it set up so that they are able to evaluate very small children. As one poster stated, they usually have a toy light up or move, plus other various ingenious ways to get the child to interact so they can tell if she/he heard the noise or not.
It's just like when you take a very young child to get their eyes examined. They're too young to use the big ocular machine that adults use. Instead, the doctor uses prisms. They can tell by how the eye reacts with the different prisms they hold up as to what prescription the child needs. My daughter is far-sighted and has been wearing glasses since she was three. I found it fascinating to watch the doctor hold up the prisms and test her eyes.
The hearing tests don't work that way anymore. Little ones don't have to do a thing.
The test actually measures the movement of the eardrum somehow. It does not require the child to respond.
My son had a sedated hearing test at around age 2. This was after several evaluations that couldn't prove one way or another. His hearing is perfect however he is nonverbal, my son is also autistic.
