I got my daughter evaluated and one of the things they noticed is that her auditory processing isn't so great. Before labeling her with an auditory processing disorder, I need to take her for a hearing test. Fortunately I got this information from a reader on things I and other people should know before taking a kid to a hearing test.
Hearing and ear health are really important concerns in anyone’s life, but especially so for young children where everything can be a problem that becomes bigger and bigger if you are not careful about it. If you are keen to make sure that you are keeping on top of your child’s hearing health, one of the things you’ll need to do is to take them to a hearing test every now and then. If you have their first hearing test coming up and you are concerned about what to do about it or how to approach it, there are a few things to bear in mind. Let’s take a look.
Calm Their Nerves
In general, there is nothing that happens in an audiologist’s office which is frightening or dangerous. However, there is always a chance that your child will be nervous about it, just because it’s something new that they haven’t done before. If so, you might want to think about how you are going to calm their nerves. You can encourage them by making it seem fun or enjoyable, or you can promise a treat afterwards if they are brave about it. But you should generally find it is a lot easier than taking them to the dentist.
Know What To Expect
It’s really useful if you yourself know what to expect at the hearing test. Any hearing appointment is going to look pretty similar to the next. First of all there will be a consultation, including your opportunity to explain if there are any issues that you are aware of that need looking into. Then it is a matter of going through the hearing tests themselves, which are simply a case of wearing headphones and making a signal or pressing a button when a sound changes or disappears altogether. When you go in knowing what to expect, your child is going to be a lot calmer and you will find it easier to keep them calm too.
Be Prepared For Every Eventuality
It’s perfectly possible that your child is going to have to have some kind of treatment for hearing loss. Depending on the cause of the hearing loss, this will vary somewhat. It might be that they have an infection, in which case a round of antibiotics should clear it up. Or it might be that it is more long-term, and that they need to have hearing aids installed. Even in that case, remember that it’s not the end of the world. Plenty of people live perfectly happy and full lives with hearing loss, and it’s not necessarily to be thought of as a disability. It’s just one of those things to be lived with. However, being prepared for it will help you both if it should come to that, as it might take some getting used to.
As you can see, there are some things to bear in mind when it comes to your child’s first hearing test. But as long as you think about these, you should be able to make the most of it.
Calm Their Nerves
In general, there is nothing that happens in an audiologist’s office which is frightening or dangerous. However, there is always a chance that your child will be nervous about it, just because it’s something new that they haven’t done before. If so, you might want to think about how you are going to calm their nerves. You can encourage them by making it seem fun or enjoyable, or you can promise a treat afterwards if they are brave about it. But you should generally find it is a lot easier than taking them to the dentist.
Know What To Expect
It’s really useful if you yourself know what to expect at the hearing test. Any hearing appointment is going to look pretty similar to the next. First of all there will be a consultation, including your opportunity to explain if there are any issues that you are aware of that need looking into. Then it is a matter of going through the hearing tests themselves, which are simply a case of wearing headphones and making a signal or pressing a button when a sound changes or disappears altogether. When you go in knowing what to expect, your child is going to be a lot calmer and you will find it easier to keep them calm too.
Be Prepared For Every Eventuality
It’s perfectly possible that your child is going to have to have some kind of treatment for hearing loss. Depending on the cause of the hearing loss, this will vary somewhat. It might be that they have an infection, in which case a round of antibiotics should clear it up. Or it might be that it is more long-term, and that they need to have hearing aids installed. Even in that case, remember that it’s not the end of the world. Plenty of people live perfectly happy and full lives with hearing loss, and it’s not necessarily to be thought of as a disability. It’s just one of those things to be lived with. However, being prepared for it will help you both if it should come to that, as it might take some getting used to.
As you can see, there are some things to bear in mind when it comes to your child’s first hearing test. But as long as you think about these, you should be able to make the most of it.