Audiologist

Audiologist

The Utah Dept of Health audiologist offers diagnostic hearing testing and screening for the pediatric population.

OAE (otoacoustic emission) testing is an objective test which reflects an active response of the inner ear (outer hair cells) to sound presented to the external ear and can be recorded in patients with normal middle ear function and hearing thresholds within the normal range.  OAE testing measures a peripheral response and does not assess higher auditory function.  A soft probe tip is placed in the ear and a soft sound is presented.  This test can be completed on all ages.  The child needs to sit quietly or sleep quietly for two or three minutes for the test to be accurate.

Tympanometry is an objective measure of the middle ear function. A soft probe is placed in the ear and a soft sound is presented.  This test can be completed in a few seconds.

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing without sedation.  ABR testing is an objective test of hearing thresholds. The health departments will do this testing only with natural sleep, so this testing is best for children four months old and under.  Complete testing can take up to two hours once the infant is sleeping soundly. Children older than four months old who require ABR testing need to be seen at a hospital audiology department where sedation can be administered.

Visually Reinforced Audiometry (VRA) is completed in a sound treated room with toys that are activated to reinforce the child’s searching behavior when a sound or voice is presented. The child searches for sounds presented from the side while sitting on a parent’s lap.  Therefore, the child needs to have good head control. This testing can be done with or without headphones.

Conditioned Play audiometry (CPA) is completed using tones and voice presented through headphones.  The child responds in a specific way, such as putting a peg in a board or dropping a block in a basket, when the child hears the tone.  Most three and four year old children can accurately complete this test.

Standard audiometric testing is when the child raises a hand or gives a verbal response when a tone is presented through headphones and/or the child repeats words from set word lists.  This testing can be completed by most children five years old and older.

Speech audiometry uses recorded or live voice to present standard word lists.  The child repeats the word presented or points to the appropriate picture.  The words are presented at different levels of loudness. This testing can be completed using headphones or with the words presented through speakers in a sound treated room.

Auditory processing screening testing looks at auditory function with a variety of auditory stimuli presented through headphones.  The child needs to repeat the word or words he/she hears.  Therefore, the child needs to have no significant speech/articulation problems and English needs to be the child’s first language. This testing is most accurate for children five years old and older.

Hearing aid assessment and fitting can be completed on children with a diagnosed hearing loss from birth and older.

Audiologists also see infants and toddlers for follow-up screening and diagnostic testing for infants who do not pass the newborn hearing screening.  Screening is done by OAE testing.  Diagnostic testing is completed using ABR testing.

Information for Parents and Professionals Regarding Hearing Loss

American Society for Deaf Children—for the future of deaf and hard-of-hearing children
PO Box 3355
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: (717) 334-7922
Email: ASDC1@aol.com
Website: www.deafchildren.org

• Focus is on information for parents.
• First year of membership is free.
• Good Information for parents with newly diagnosed child with hearing loss.
• Lending Library of books and videos.

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
3417 Volta Pl. NW
Washington, DC 20007-2778
(202) 337-5220
Email: info@agbell.org
Website: www.agbell.org

• First 6 months free membership with new diagnosis
• Good information and brochures on hearing loss
• Supports an oral approach  (no use of sign language)

John Tracy Clinic
806 West Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007-2505
(213) 784-5481
Website: www.jtc.org
See website for various email addresses.

• Free services to families of preschool children with hearing loss
• Correspondence course for parents and family
• Available in Spanish
• Encourages oral approach (no use of sign language)

National Association for the Deaf
814 Thayer Ave.
Silver Spring, MD, 20910-4500
(301) 587-1789
Email: NADinfo@nad.org
Website: www.nad.org

• General information.
• The Information Center on the website has good basic information

Marion Downs National Center
University of Colorado at Boulder
Dept. of Speech, Language and Hearing Science
Campus Box 409
Boulder, CO 80309-0409

• Good Links page on website that lists many organizations and Centers related to hearing loss in children

National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NICDCD)
National Institutes of Health
31 Center Dr. MSC 2320
Bethesda, MD 20892-2320
1-800-241-1044
Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov
Website: www.nidcd.nih.gov

• Good general information on hearing and balance on website

Listen Up
Website:  www.listen-up.org

• Parents of children with hearing loss started this organization.  The web-site map has a good outline of all the information available for parents, teachers and other professionals.

Beginnings for Parents of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, INC.
P. O. Box 17646
Raleigh, NC 27619
1-800-541-4327
Website: www.beginningssvcs.com

• Founded to give parents accurate information on placement. communication methodology, and related services.

Hands & Voices
Website:  www.handsandvoices.org

• Resource Guide is a good starting point for parents
• Also has information related to school programs, child and parents rights and the Individual Educational Program (IEP)
• There is a resource guide in Spanish.

House Ear Institute
2100 W. 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA  90057
(213) 483-4431
Website:  www.hei.org
See directory on the home page for email addresses.

• Focus is on research, early diagnosis and treatment.

Boys Town National Research Hospital
Website: www.babyhearing.org
             www.boystownhospital.org

• Good information on hearing loss
• Resources for parents and professional.

NCHAM (National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management) and
EDHI (Early Hearing Detection and Intervention)
Utah State University
Website: www.infanthearing.org

• Resource for parents and professional