Children's Audiology

Visit our Children's Audiology Hub to meet the team, download our leaflets and watch short videos on visiting our service, hearing aid maintenance and other useful links.

The Children's Audiology Service specialises in assessment and management of children hearing aged 0 to 16 years old.

Why is a child referred to Children's audiology?

Any health professional or school SENCO can refer to our service with parental consent. The most common reasons for making a referral to us is either because a parent or health professional is concerned about a child's hearing or because a child has a health condition or syndrome that can be associated with deafness.

We also monitor some children's hearing

Some children need their hearing to be monitored for a number of years. This is usually because they have a health condition or syndrome that means their hearing could deteriorate or they have a hearing loss in one or both ears and we need to be aware of any changes in one or both ears.

What happens during an appointment?

Most appointments take place in large sound proof booths. The type of test carried out depends on a child's age. For younger children this usually involves playing games, for older children putting on headphones and listening for quiet sounds. Sometimes there are 2 testers present and sometimes just one, depending on the type of testing we do.

It is really helpful if other children ARE NOT present at the appointment. The presence of other children can affect the assessment.

Appointments can be between 30 and 60 minutes long. Our aim is to obtain accurate and reliable results that tell us about a child's level and type of hearing in both ears. There will be times when we need 2 or 3 consecutive appointments to get all this important information.

What happens if my child has a hearing loss?

We always discuss the results of any tests with parents. We would talk through the impact of any hearing loss on a child's speech, social, educational and general development. Following this discussion we decide on the most appropriate course of action for the child and their family. That might include one of the following:

• To review a child's hearing at an agreed interval.
• Discuss interventions, such as hearing aids, with a child and their parents.
• To discharge a child from the service.
• To refer for further assessment at the local Ear Nose and Throat department or another department.

Do you provide hearing aids?

Yes - in Crawley and Horsham we work with parents and a multisiciplinary team to provide child focused amplification solutions based on a child's type and level of hearing loss and sometimes their age. These would include behind the ear hearing aids, softband BAHA, CROS aids or refer to a specialist service for cochlear implants.

For children living in Brighton and Hove and Mid Sussex we would refer to the Royal Sussex County hospital for amplification options.

What can I expect from my child's hearing therapy appointment?

An appointment with a Paediatric Hearing Therapist offers a chance to explore means of managing hearing difficulties. We provide advice and counselling for children and their parents/carers to help with hearing difficulties as well as management techniques for tinnitus, hyperacusis, auditory processing disorder (APD) and communication tactics/strategies. At your child's first appointment we will do a comprehensive assessment of your child's needs and then create a tailored programme of rehabilitation to support them. The appointment will last for about an hour.