Paediatric Audiology

• Hearing assessments for children from birth to 16 years of age.
• Specialist hearing assessments for children with complex needs from three months up to 16–18 years, or up to 25 years if they have an active EHCP.
• Follow-up care for babies referred through the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP).
• Specialist hearing assessments and ongoing monitoring for children receiving medicines that may affect their hearing (ototoxic medicines).
• Hearing aid assessment clinics.
• Diagnosis and ongoing management of permanent childhood hearing loss (PCHI), including for babies identified through the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme.
• Hearing aid servicing, maintenance and replacement earmoulds.

Specialist clinics

Our team also provides some further specialist clinics, including:

• assessment for Bone Conduction Hearing Instruments (BCHIs)
• assessing children with additional needs in the Sunflower Clinic

If your child has been referred to our service, it may be due to symptoms such as:

• mishearing or not hearing when spoken to
• TV volume being increased
• struggling to communicate with peers
• speaking loudly
• changing behaviour and becoming increasingly frustrated
• difficulties hearing at school
• delayed speech, language or communication

Children can also be referred by:

• request from another professional, such as a paediatrician or newborn hearing screener
• request from another professional after a routine check-up for medical conditions, e.g. a syndrome with risk of developing hearing problems
• request from another professional caring for a child having certain medical treatment, e.g. certain types of chemotherapy or antibiotics
• request from another professional after a certain illness, e.g. bacterial meningitis

Your child's first appointment will usually last between 30 and 45 minutes. However, we recommend allowing up to one hour in case there are any delays.

Your child will be seen by one or two members of our Children's Audiology Team who are specially trained to assess children's hearing.

Sometimes we may not be able to complete all the tests during one visit. If this happens, we will arrange a second appointment to finish the assessment.

During the appointment

We will begin by asking you about:

• your child's hearing and any concerns you have
• their medical history
• any family history of hearing loss or hearing problems

We will then assess your child's hearing. The type of hearing test will depend on your child's age and stage of development. We will encourage your child to respond to sounds in a way that is appropriate for them.

We will also examine your child's ears and, if needed, carry out additional hearing tests.

Before you attend

Hearing tests need to be carried out in a quiet room so we can get accurate results.

Where possible, please attend with only the child who is having the hearing test. Unfortunately, we cannot supervise other children in the waiting area.

To help us carry out the assessment, we ask that only one adult accompanies the child into the clinic room. This is because the hearing test equipment is very sensitive and needs to be used in carefully controlled conditions.

After the assessment

Once the tests are complete, we will explain the results and answer any questions you may have. Together, we will agree the most appropriate next steps and develop an individual care plan for your child's hearing.

In the clinic, we'll also signpost you toward more information about your child's appointment and the hearing tests we carry out.

Depending on the nature of the hearing loss identified, appropriate support and management are provided. This may involve monitoring of your child’s hearing, the fitting of a hearing aid, or referral onwards for a medical opinion, such as with an ear, nose and throat consultant. We will discuss this in clinic, and you will also receive a clinic letter detailing the results.

If we identify a persistent or permanent hearing loss that is affecting your child's hearing, we will discuss whether a hearing aid or other hearing device would be beneficial.

We will recommend the most suitable type of hearing aid based on your child's age, hearing needs and individual circumstances.

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids are the most common type of hearing aid used for children.

They sit behind the ear and are connected to either a thin tube or a custom-made earmould, which carries sound into the ear and helps keep the hearing aid securely in place.

BTE hearing aids are ideal for children because they are durable, easy to adjust as children grow, and suitable for a wide range of hearing losses.

In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids

In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids fit inside the outer ear rather than behind it. They work in a similar way to BTE hearing aids but are custom-made to fit the ear.

Although they are less noticeable than BTE hearing aids, they are still visible. They are not suitable for everyone and are used less often for children.

Bone conduction hearing devices (BCHDs)

Bone conduction hearing devices (BCHDs) are specialist hearing devices for children who cannot wear conventional hearing aids because of the shape or condition of their ears, or for certain types of hearing loss.

For younger children, the device is usually worn on a soft headband. Older children may be suitable for a surgically implanted bone conduction hearing device, depending on their age and clinical needs.

If a bone conduction hearing device is appropriate for your child, we will discuss the available options with you and explain how they work.