Trying to get 3 year old a hearing test.

[AaronB90]

My 3 year old is quite behind on his speech development and additionally it's going to make him extremely difficult potty train. This could be due to hearing problems. I live in the UK and the hospital (NHS) Have told me we might be waiting up to 6 months just to book an appointment to have his hearing and ears tested (due to covid). I find that absolutely outrageous, a child's development at a young age is EXTREMELY important. Is there anything I can do?

Go private?

You can potty train without speech.

If you go for it and reward poos or pees with something he likes.

Use makaton signs

What about development in general.

Post on SEN boards

I’ve just had my 3 year olds hearing tested. I took him to the doctors first as Heath visitors in our area dont do the test anymore. The doctor checked his ears but referred him to the local children’s hospital for the actual test, this was beginning of December and he had an appointment come through and done within in a month even though I was expecting a long wait due to covid. We are in a large city in the south west.

My son doesn’t have any speech problems or anything and he was only taken to the docs as his pre school thought he was noise sensitive ( he isn’t) so it wasn’t I can’t imagine that his appointment request was put through by the docs as anything but a routine appointment, where as I would say if you son is behind with speech and it was affecting his development it should be relatively quick esp if he is starting school in September.

Maybe try your doctor and she if they can help speed things along.

Not sure there’s anything you can do to push the appointment forward. But you can potty train without speech. Ds2 was non verbal until he was about 4 and even then very delayed but he toilet trained when he was about 3 and a half.
You look for visual schedules online that can help support his understanding.

My son has been on a waiting list since October 2019 for a hearing test. He has confirmed glue ear. As the waiting list in our area is 14 months I've had to go privately as my son wasn't talking. He finally got a hearing test this month as the glue ear has gone back but it's been cancelled due go COVID.

Go private. You'll get one done within a couple of weeks.

That's awful. It isn't like that everywhere, I'd expect a 2 month wait maximum. Can see see if you could be referred to a different hospital?

Audiology are commissioned to see children in less than six weeks. I referred someone in November and they were seen in December. I would get the GP to refer and if you don't hear anything (no pun intended ) look to go privately. It's worth the GP checking first though glue ear is extremely common in young children but, in my area at least, they tend not to do anything about it these days.

Sorry meant to saying in my area audiology are commissioned to see dc in six weeks

My son is deaf in his left ear and haven't seen an audiologist since last year. He was already under the service as was deaf from birth.

Have you been to your GP?

We were seen last week by the health visitor and have a hearing test at the end of Feb! She told me to call every day in the afternoon for any cancellations so should be earlier. We are waiting on a community paed (20 weeks wait) and a NHS SALT (16 week wait) and have gone private for both of them in the interim before we get the NHS appointments!

The waiting list is just awful, and I really feel for people having to wait so long!! My DD is 20 months old and I've been speaking to the HV since she was 4 months old as I've been convinced something wasn't quite right.
Keep pushing, keep on them. Call for cancellations. Call the doctors back! Be an absolute nuisance!