How often should a child have his or her hearing tested?
Initially, when a hearing loss is suspected, it is recommended that a child undergo testing using an Auditory Brain Response (ABR) which does not require the child to respond; rather, it measures brain activity. If the ABR reveals a hearing loss, more testing is usually done. During the process of more accurately determining the exact degree of hearing loss, the pediatrician, the otologist, and/or the audiologist may recommend more frequent testing. Children with hearing loss are not easy to test. It will take a series of tests as the child gets older and can cooperate better, to fully determine the type and extent of the hearing loss. Audiologists’ opinions differ on how often a young child should be tested. Most recommend that children under three years of age be tested every six months. After that, unless a child has an ear infection or is not responding as is expected, a comprehensive evaluation once a year should be sufficient.
