Babies that have just been born will need to be screened to determine if their ears are okay or if there are any potential problems. This is done through two tests. One is the automated oto-acoustic emissions test, referred to in short as AOAE. It takes a short time and can even be performed while the baby is asleep. A very small earpiece is placed in the ears and then clicking sounds played through it. It is a hearing test Etobicoke residents may use on newborns.
With the AOAE test, if the ears of the child are working normally, echoes should be produced in the cochlea. The sounds are analyzed by the computer. There are times when the results are not vivid and they would have to be re-done or another test used. The first test may fail because maybe the baby was not settled during the time, presence of noise in the background or due to temporary ear blockage.
There is the automated auditory brainstem response test, AABR, in which three very small sensors are placed on the neck and head of the baby. Soft headphones are put over the ears of the baby and quiet sounds played. The analysis of sounds is done by a computer. For older children, there are other tests that are used.
In visual reinforcement audiometry, a baby will be made to sit on the laps as sounds are played to them from a speaker. If the baby turns in the direction of the produced sound, a reward is given in the form of for instance a toy that is lit. In order to know the least sound the baby is able to hear at each pitch, the loudness will be varied. The same test may be performed using earphones. Earphones enable every ear to be tested on its own. It is used in kids between six months and three years old.
In pure tone audiometry, the instrument used is an audiometer which generates sounds with frequencies that vary. These sounds are normally played through a headphone. As this happens, the child will be asked to show a response when they hear a sound. For example, they may be asked to press a button. The sound level is gradually reduced to know the least sound the child can hear.
This technique is only useful for kids over three years old. It is used for screening hearing ability of children before they begin school. In the technique known as play audiometry, the child will be asked to do a simple activity when they hear sounds played via headphones. For instance, they could be told to move some toy whenever they hear sounds.
Ability of a child to recognize words that are heard without seeing lip movements of the person can be assessed through the speech perception test. Words used can be played from headphones or said directly to the kid without showing movements of the lips. The kid identifies a word through picking matching pictures from a list.
The method used for testing depends on the age of the child and the recommendation of the physician. Tests can also be carried out on adults. There are different methods for adult testing.
With the AOAE test, if the ears of the child are working normally, echoes should be produced in the cochlea. The sounds are analyzed by the computer. There are times when the results are not vivid and they would have to be re-done or another test used. The first test may fail because maybe the baby was not settled during the time, presence of noise in the background or due to temporary ear blockage.
There is the automated auditory brainstem response test, AABR, in which three very small sensors are placed on the neck and head of the baby. Soft headphones are put over the ears of the baby and quiet sounds played. The analysis of sounds is done by a computer. For older children, there are other tests that are used.
In visual reinforcement audiometry, a baby will be made to sit on the laps as sounds are played to them from a speaker. If the baby turns in the direction of the produced sound, a reward is given in the form of for instance a toy that is lit. In order to know the least sound the baby is able to hear at each pitch, the loudness will be varied. The same test may be performed using earphones. Earphones enable every ear to be tested on its own. It is used in kids between six months and three years old.
In pure tone audiometry, the instrument used is an audiometer which generates sounds with frequencies that vary. These sounds are normally played through a headphone. As this happens, the child will be asked to show a response when they hear a sound. For example, they may be asked to press a button. The sound level is gradually reduced to know the least sound the child can hear.
This technique is only useful for kids over three years old. It is used for screening hearing ability of children before they begin school. In the technique known as play audiometry, the child will be asked to do a simple activity when they hear sounds played via headphones. For instance, they could be told to move some toy whenever they hear sounds.
Ability of a child to recognize words that are heard without seeing lip movements of the person can be assessed through the speech perception test. Words used can be played from headphones or said directly to the kid without showing movements of the lips. The kid identifies a word through picking matching pictures from a list.
The method used for testing depends on the age of the child and the recommendation of the physician. Tests can also be carried out on adults. There are different methods for adult testing.
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