Childhood Hearing Tests & How Hearing Affects Speech
Hearing, speech, and language are closely intertwined! So much so that when it comes to diagnosing speech and language delays and disorders, speech therapists always ask that hearing issues be ruled out first.
To help you understand the importance of child hearing tests, when and how often they need to happen throughout childhood, and how to prepare your child for their hearing test, we enlisted the help of Dr. Michelle Hu from Mama Hu Hears. Dr. Hu is a pediatric audiologist who has bilateral hearing loss herself, so she’s the perfect person to learn from.
Read through this post, soak up as much of her genius as you can, and grab her free guide on preparing for your child’s hearing test before you go!
Why Babies & Children Need Hearing Tests
It’s important that children have their hearing evaluated because being or becoming deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) can happen at any time. Even prior to birth! And being deaf or hard of hearing can significantly affect their spoken language and speech development, among other things. It’s also worth noting that even temporary hearing loss—like the kind that occurs as a result of recurrent ear infections—can affect their spoken speech and language development, as well as their reactions to environmental sounds. This is why we recommend hearing testing for newborns or babies, as well as at different stages of life, especially in response to a concern.
The Connection Between Hearing & Speech Delays
A child’s speech and spoken language are a reflection of what they hear and what is happening with their ears—or the auditory pathway to the brain. Whenever a child experiences hearing loss, the sound and speech they would normally hear and then process is inhibited, meaning it isn’t being efficiently delivered to the brain. As a result, the areas in the brain that are used for communication do not fully develop. This makes understanding (receptive language) and talking (expressive language) very difficult for them.
When To Get Your Child’s Hearing Tested
#1 As A Newborn
The first few days of your baby’s life can actually be quite overwhelming. You’re tired, you may need to recover, and you also have a new someone to nurture, hold and feed! If you delivered your baby in a birthing center or hospital, nurses and staff will be in and out checking on you and your baby constantly. One of the checks that they do in the U.S. is the initial newborn hearing screening! This is a completely objective test that takes a look at the function of the ear.
Testing newborn hearing within the first few days of birth allows medical teams to observe and “catch” any hearing issues that your baby may have been born with. Then, if the medical team finds something they believe needs further evaluation, they’ll refer you and your newborn baby for a follow-up hearing screening. If your child is referred for further screening at this stage, it’s important for you to know that it doesn’t necessarily mean they have a profound hearing loss—just that they’ve found something worth following-up on.
#2 As Needed During Childhood
If you or a medical professional has a hearing-related concern at any point during your child’s life, we want to evaluate your child’s hearing as soon as possible! This way, we can provide resources and recommendations, and help resolve any issues as quickly as possible (providing that you, as parents, so choose). So that your child can be on their way to developing strong spoken speech and language skills as soon as possible!
#3 Before You Evaluate Their Speech
As I mentioned above, becoming deaf or hard of hearing can occur at any time. So even though, in most US hospitals, hearing loss is identified at birth through Universal Newborn Hearing Screenings (UNHS), we always recommend a hearing test prior to a speech evaluation.
As a parent, you might think that you would know if your child had a hearing issue. Most parents feel this way! But hearing loss is often more subtle than you might think. In fact, some families don’t find out about their children’s hearing issues for years. (When I was born, there were no Universal Newborn Hearing Screenings available, so my hearing loss wasn’t detected until I was 3 years old!) This is important for parents to be aware of, because when hearing loss goes undetected, a very common sign is delayed speech and language skills.
8 Tips To Prepare You For Your Child’s Hearing Test
Maybe your child is being assessed as a newborn. Maybe they did not get their hearing tested at birth, but you have recent concerns for their hearing. Or maybe you have concerns about a possible speech and language delay. Either way, it’s great that your child is getting their hearing tested now! And no matter what age they are, these tips will help you prepare.
For my complete list of tips, be sure to download my free guide on preparing for your child’s hearing test!
#1 Pick A Sleepy Time
Try to schedule your appointment during a time your child will most likely be drowsy, sleepy, or relaxed. Especially if they’re at the infant stage! Early infant testing is typically completed while they’re sleeping.
#2 Plan Ahead
Your child’s hearing test should only take about 20-45 minutes, but the appointment could last up to two hours. This way, you and your medical provider can have conversations, ask questions, and give you and your baby a chance to settle in at the start, and wake up after everything is completed.
#3 Leave Early
Allow extra time for traveling—especially if it’s one of your first times out of the house with a new baby! You’ll also need time to find parking, get to the appointment location, and check in.
#4 Take Care Of You
Don't forget to think about yourself! Bring a sweatshirt in case you get chilly and water and snacks in case you need to wait in a busy clinic. (Especially if you’re nursing!)
#5 Know Your Medical History
Be prepared to answer questions about your family history, pregnancy, and delivery. If you don’t know this information yet, it's a good idea to ask relatives on both sides of your child's family if you can.
#6 Bring Someone You Love
If possible, bring your partner, another family member, or a friend to help you navigate this trip/appointment. It can also be really valuable to have a second set of ears to listen with you, in the event that a hearing loss is confirmed.
#7 Have Patience
Depending on the testing and who administers it, results may be discussed with you during the appointment or you may have to wait a few days to receive them. Keep that in mind and set your expectations accordingly.
#8 Watch These Videos!
Wondering what audiological testing in a soundbooth looks like? Or how your child will do? Watch these video examples so you can start to wrap your mind around how your appointment could go.
My Child Has Hearing Loss... Now What?
If your child has hearing loss, you might be feeling like you need some guidance and resources. Thankfully, Dr. Hu is here to help! She has an amazing online program created specifically for parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children. It addresses everything you need to confidently create a road map for your journey as a DHH family. We highly recommend it!
Wondering If Your Child Has A Speech & Language Delay?
We recommend downloading our toddler talking milestones checklist to find out which skills they’ve mastered, which ones they’re working on, and which ones they may be behind on.
Understanding what they need help with is the first step to getting the support they need! And of course, if you have concerns, of any kind, we always recommend talking to your pediatrician or seeing a speech-language pathologist. You won’t regret getting a head start!