Hearing Testing

Hearing can be assessed at any age. A hearing evaluation may be recommended as a result of:

• Parent/caregiver concern for hearing or speech-language development
• Missed or failed newborn hearing screening
• Failed school hearing screening
• Referral from primary care physician
• Referral from therapist
• Risk factors for hearing loss present in child’s medical history

Below please find a list of the types of diagnostic hearing tests available through our facility. 

Newborn Hearing Screening 

State of Illinois mandates that all infants receive a hearing screening prior to discharge from the birth hospital. If a child does not receive or does not pass this screening at the birth hospital, an outpatient screening is generally recommended. This testing is completed while the child is sleeping. Our audiologists will complete two types of screening measures (otoacoustic emissions and automated auditory brainstem response) at this visit.

Diagnostic Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Evaluation 

An ABR evaluation is used to predict a child’s hearing levels by measuring a response from the hearing system within the brain. This type of evaluation may be recommended if a child does not pass their newborn hearing screening or is unable to participate in testing in the sound booth (see behavioral testing below).

For children under six months of age, this testing may be completed while a child is sleeping. For children older than six months, general anesthesia may be required. 

Behavioral Testing

This type of testing is completed in a sound booth and relies on a child’s behavioral responses to sound. The audiologist will choose the appropriate test method based on a child’s age and developmental level. For younger children, a trained audiology assistant will be present in the sound booth.