Paediatric Hearing Assessment

Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) is a style of hearing testing used for infants with a developmental age of approx. 9 months – 3 years (these are typical ages. Please note that a child’s developmental age may be different to their chronological age).

VRA involves small table and chair set-up in a large 3 x 3m sound booth with dimmed lighting. Your child is taught to expect a fun dancing puppet or computer image/video as a “reward” for turning their head around when they hear a sound. We give your child a number of training sessions with the sound and reward played at the same time. Once your child understands the task, sounds are presented at softer levels to determine the level of hearing.

Typically VRA is performed with speakers, not headphones, because most young children do not tolerate wearing headphones on, or earphones in, their ears. Testing with speakers is called “free-field” testing. With this type of hearing test, both ears are tested together. If individual ear hearing test results are required, this may require an additional appointment. While we try our best to make the experience fun and calm, will be subject to your child’s ability to tolerate headphones/earphones.

Please note: Children with blindness or significant vision loss are not suitable candidates for VRA due to the visual nature of the “reward”.

Play Audiometry is a style of hearing testing that involves playing a game with the your child with instructions such as “When you hear the sound, do ……”. This method of paediatric hearing testing is generally suitable for ages 3-6 years.  However, as with all behavioural hearing testing methods, this requires the engagement and participation of your child.

Our audiologists have a ranges of games to play with your child, depending on what interests them. Games include: peg boards, car runs, Pop-Up Pirate/T-Rex, Pop the Pig and stickers. If you believe that your child may have difficulty or no interest in playing a listening game and following simple instructions, please call ahead. This way our audiologists can come up with a plan for your child.

Pure Tone Audiometry is the same hearing test as is done for adults. It usually involves wearing headphones and pushing a hand-held button when a beep or tone is heard. This test is very quick and has the potential to give us the most information about your child’s hearing. Most children from the age of 5 or 6 years are able to perform this test.  However, if you believe that your child would require Play Audiometry or Visual Response Audiometry, please call ahead and let us know because this may require a different test room to be booked.