Is it reasonable to expect a 3.9 year old to sit in a soundproof booth with headphones and button

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

In order to carry out a hearing test?

Yes. Cant they sit on your lap in there though.

yes did they have the animals that make a noise?

Yes, DS had this done and also had an ECG (sensors on head and visual stimuli for eye problem). As long as the audiologist lets him have a little break if he gets fed up.

no - bleep test. She was asked to push a button when she heard a noise.

Yes - DS had loads iof hearing tests and did the booth thing from around 2.5yo.

I would have sat with her but couldnt because I didnt realise they were doing a hearing test today and I had DS running around, picking up equipment, pushing buttons and switching machines off. I would have got someone to look after him or got DP to come had i known.

dd2 had to move blocks from one palce to another.

She was utterly thrown by it I have to say. She couldnt do it at all.

I think dumbstruck is an appropriate way to describe it.

for either os DSs, it would be a special treat, if they reasd this they'd demand one.

Bless her, so are you booked to go back again?

No - when she realised she hadnt already checked - she had a look in her ears and commented on teh amount of wax in there and sought advice. Came back and said she wouldnt bother and did a pressure test(?) which produced varying results. We then went back to the consultant, who I thought we were simply going to see anyway.

he says it seems she has glue ear - not so much in the left ear, particularly so in the right ear.

He prescribed steroids to spray up her nose. Thats to go with the steroids she inhales, and the steroids she has smothered on her skin. Along with the occasional oral steroids .

And no moves to deal with the problems that are becoming abundantly clear with her speech.

At 3.9 DS was having checkups following his second set of grommets and adenoidectomy at 3.6. He had to sit in a soundproof room but I was also there with 6mo DD and he had to do the moving blocks thing. He is now almost 6 and goes off for the test on his own - much better than having me and 2 1/2 yr old DD along.

Sympathies though, I remember when he was 14 months ish trying to get him to even acknowledge the noises was an uphill battle. And my SIL is having similar troubles getting her 2yo to cover up his eyes.

yeh, we had the same. It always said in our letter though not to bring other small children (which I couldn't always manage)but dd2 would sit on my knee during it.

SOund slike they didn't make it all clear enough to you. Will they check her again later to follow up if grommets are needed?

my ds wouldn't even do the test with me in the room from age 3 (he did one just before his first grommet op) until age 5.

I had absolutely no idea we were going to have her hearing tested.

I thought it was just an initial consultation with an ENT Consultant - i certainly wasnt told otherwise when I rang to make the appointment.

I could have prepared DD for it a few days in advance (its kinda necessary with DD), and arranged for DS to have been looked after.

I am back at the hospital next week seeing the paediatrician so i might speak to him about it.

They should've warned you - really helps to be able to go through things, I think.

Hope that the next appointment is better. Give DD a cuddle from me x x x

You should have been warned.

If I don't ring you tomorrow, ring me.

Much love

LGJ

Don't know why they do this, in my experience hearing tests at audiology they warn you not to bring siblings and you can stay with them, at ent we have often had tests without warning and they are expected to do bleep tests which audiology say they are too young for.

Aside from not bringing DS, I could have spent some time with DD going through what will happen, what she needs to do, etc etc.

She is a very sensitive soul and is easily overwhelmed by new environments, new people and new things. It was just all too much for her today

no - my dd1 is 4 and her hearing tests ( which we have regularly) consist of her sitting in a room with a therapist and me playing. When she hears a sound she is to turn to the sound - where there is a window and a character will pop up - soft toy - parrot, etc. If she does not hear the sound, she does not turn - they note the sound frequency.

There is no way she would be able to do that - for a start she would not wear the headphones.

All well and good not to bring siblings but I don't have a choice - no childcare - sometimes dh can come down if it is his lunch break but other times I have had to have dd2 there.

IME ENT nearly always do a hearing test. But I definitely think there are a lot of children like your DD, that would benefit from the preparation. So not only have they wasted your time, but also the NHS resources.

I think its down to the indiviual child , DS2 was fine at age 3.7yrs when he first had it done , as I can see from other posts some children older dont like it.

The pressure test will indicate whther they have glue ear or not. Did the consultant recommend the nasal ballon to relieve the pressure ? It worked with us and after 6 weeks of using it 3 times a day the glue ear cleared. I beleive you can buy them at the chemist.

nasal balloon

when ds had hearing test he was four. sat on my lap in the booth and was asked to say "yes" when he heard the bleep.

QV - I recommend cranial osteopathy for glue ear. My DS's glue ear has gone in one ear, almost gone in the other, after 6 months treatment. Consultant told me not to waste my money but it seems it worked.