So what happens at a childs audiology appointment?

[MerlinsBeard]

DS2 has an appointment with audiology on monday. I know i had hearing tests when i was younger but they were done when i was much older and they came to school to do it (don't know why i needed one, i wasn't having difficulties hearing)

DS2 will need some preparation to lower the risk of a meltdown at the unfamiliar. Have already told him he has the appointment but if they are going to put things IN his ears he will need to know as he hates that!

sorry am rambling i know but didn't want to forget to ask!

My dd had to have her hearing checked fairly regularly for a while when she was younger. I guess it depends what the problem is as to what they do, but here's how she was checked.

A bit of looking in her ears with the torch thing.

Then to check her hearing she'd wear some headphones and either had to press a little button or turn over a cube the moment she heard a noise.

I think the noises were little squeaks and blips - something like that. It was a bit of a game - they were always very kind and it wasn't horrible.

She hates her ears being prodded and poked and the looking in them with the torch was the bit she wasn't too keen on, but the hearing test part was ok.

Hope it goes ok

When I took DS2 he went into a sound proof room.

The audioligist was lovely and welcoming when we entered and explained from the word go to DS2 what he was going to do and when he was going to do it. He showed him all the equipment first and what to expect with the noises that were going to appear through the headphones and how it was going to be recorded.

He kept stopping and starting asking DS2 if he was ok.

However DS2 is an inquisitive boy who took delight in seeing and looking at the equipment!

He is having them checked as part of a speech and language thing as well as ruling out any hearing difficulties which may lead to some of his behaviours (can be both under and over sensitive to noise)

Am not sure that he would fully understand that he can only press a button if he hears a noise Thank you though, i can at least prepare him for the headphones (things ON his ears are better than things IN hs ears!)

oh yes and I forgot the earphones bit and pressing buttons as they hear the noises

sorry bella, x posted.

Thank you both, was worried he would be intimidated and we would have meltdowns but it seems like they are well prepared for children and their nuances

As I remember we progressed onto pressing the button when she was a little older.

When dd was v v young she wore the headphones and had some wooden blocks/cubes to turn over when she heard a sound.

It's all quite 'interesting' though for them.

what tsarchasm said really. but the audiolgist should be lovely and v used to dealing with children who may find it all a bit odd/stressful. if you don't feel the audiologist is sympathetic (but I'm sure they will be) SAY SOMETHING and ask to see someone else

Just in case someone has searched archives i thought i would update.

It was fine there was a seperate childrens room and there was a box that he was shown and he heard the noises they were expecting im to hear before the "test" began. When he heard a noise he had to put a peg on a peg board and he did that with the Dr for the forst few then he had to do it on his own. The he had the headphones on to do it.

He did 'fail' in one ear so they had to put something in his ears that they said was to take a kind of picture and the Dr had a good look with the normal thing (the one with the light on)

We have a repeat in a few months in case he is about to come down with a cold and that was affecting his hearing today. They thought it unlikely as they couldn't see and cattargh (sp?)

Thank you for replies