Help, Support and Resources

What should I be concerned about?

It is important that parents and professionals are able to identify signs which indicate an underlying hearing loss.  

Please look out for the following signs which may indicate an underlying hearing loss: 

• Not responding to name when called on a regular basis.  
• Regularly asking for repetition or responding inappropriately. 
• Regularly asking for the volume to be raised on electrical devices such as the phone or TV. 
• Regularly mishearing or mispronouncing words. 
• Speech and communication delays/ difficulties. 
• Problems with concentrating, tiredness and frustration which affects their behaviour. 

Information highlighting the signs and symptoms of hearing loss in children can be found here.

Who should I liase with to obtain a referral?

To make a referral to the service, please contact a health professional such as your child’s GP, health visitor or paediatrician.

We are unable to accept requests directly from parents/carers.

Please note your child does not need to be referred to the Children’s Audiology Service if there are speech and language concerns with no hearing concerns. Please refer directly to the Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service.

How long will I have to wait for an appointment?

The service is working hard to see children as soon as possible however please be aware we continue to have increased waiting times. This might mean your child has to wait longer than we would like for a hearing test.

Is there parking available?

Please be aware that car parking facilities are limited and can be busy at peak times, so do allow plenty of time for this. Car parking charges may also apply at some sites.

We kindly request that you arrive at least 10 minutes before your allocated appointment slot to ensure that your appointment runs to time. If you are late for your appointment you risk having your child’s appointment rearranged.

What should I do if my child is unwell on the day of the appointment?

If your child is unwell, please contact us on the number below and we can rearrange the appointment for you. 

To rearrange your appointment, please ring: 0116 295 3919 

Who can come to the appointment?

We kindly ask that only one adult attends with the child to be tested.

The testing environment needs to be very quiet and free of distractions to enable your child to concentrate and listen for the very small sounds that they are expected to respond to during the testing.

Unfortunately, this is generally not possible when other children are present and can often lead to unreliable results and further appointments being required to complete testing. As such, we recommend that no other children are brought to the appointment.

We also recommend you bring any special toys or blankets that will help calm them in the appointment (as long as they are not noisy). We recommend that children that are very active and reluctant to sit in one place are brought in their pram or buggy if they have one.

What can I expect at the appointment?

The time the appointment test can be variable however, the appointment will test will usually take around 20 minutes. We will initially want to ask you a few questions relating to your child’s hearing, speech and language and general health. 

What will the Audiologist need to know?  

The Audiologist will want to know; 

• Any problems your child is having with their hearing. 

• Any concerns about speech and language development. 

• Any changes in behaviour. 

• Any recurrent ear, nose, throat or chest infections. 

• Any operations/injuries/serious illness. 

• Any health issues at or just after birth. 

Will I find out the results of the hearing test on the day?

The Audiologist will discuss and explain any results obtained and advise if any further appointments are required.

It is our aim to obtain as much information as possible from your first appointment. However, sometimes we may need to see your child more than once to obtain the results that we need. 

If your child is found to have a hearing loss a plan will be agreed, which may include either a follow up test in this service or a referral to The Hearing or Ear, Nose and Throat Services for further assessment or treatment. 

The Audiologist will provide you with the opportunity at this point to ask any questions that you may have. 

If you have any other questions before your appointment, please contact us on 0116 295 3919 and ask to speak to an Audiologist who will be able to help you.  

Visual Response Audiometry (VRA)

Your child will sit on your lap or on a small chair and will be mildly distracted from the front to keep their attention at an optimal level. Sounds will be played by the Audiologist from speakers within the room, which your child will be initially encouraged to respond to. When the child correctly turns to look for the sound a visual reward/ animation will appear on a screen. By changing the level of the sound the audiologist can determine the quietest levels your child is responding to. This test can assess the full range of hearing overall, with both ears listening together, and if the audiologist thinks information about each individual ear is necessary this can also be attempted with small ear inserts, if your child is tolerant. 

Performance Test

This test involves playing a game where your child will be taught to wait for a sound and then to perform a simple task, ie dropping a ball on a stick or moving a toy, when the sound is heard. Sounds are presented through a speaker within the room. By changing the level of the sounds the audiologist can determine the quietest sounds your child is responding to. This test can assess the full range of hearing overall, with both ears listening together, but does not give specific information about ear individual ear.

Pure Tone Audiometry

This test involves your child listening to a variety of sounds through headphones and letting the Audiologist know when a sound is heard.  Older children will usually be asked to respond to the sounds by saying “yes”, or by pressing a button each time the sound is there. Different types of headphones can be used to assess how well the sound is transmitted, either through the outer and middle ear, (air conduction) , or by placing a small vibrating devise behind the ear, which takes the  sound directly to the inner ear  through the bones in the head (bone conduction). The responses gained through these different methods will help the audiologist identify the type and likely cause of any hearing loss.

Audiometry by Play

For younger children Pure Tone Audiometry can be adapted to incorporate play. This is to keep the child interested and motivated. This can involve games such as dropping a ball on a stick or putting a brick in a box. Games may vary based on clinic.

Otoscopy

This is a gentle examination of your child’s ears involving a special torch like instrument and is not painful.

This is a quick test which checks the function of the middle ear. This is done by inserting a soft probe into your child’s ear for a few seconds. It is not painful and allows us to assess how your child’s middle ear is functioning.

Oto Acoustic Emissions (O.A.E.)

The audiologist may need to check the function of the cochlear (organ of hearing), this is the same test that is used in the newborn hearing screen. A soft probe will be placed in your child’s ear, which plays a clicking noise. It may take a few minutes to complete the test and your child will need to sit still and quiet