The local audiology department will contact you and let you know your child’s audiology appointment. If you're not sure about the information, talk to the audiology service, your newborn hearing screener or GP.
The audiology hearing test will take between 2 to 3 hours, and your baby needs to sleep for the test. The Healthy Hearing Family Support service will call you before the hearing test to talk about what this means for you and your family. It can help to bring a support person and to keep your baby awake before you get to the appointment.
You need to know:
If you have any questions, please ring the audiology service.
Each hearing test appointment can take up to 3 hours. You may need to go to more than one appointment for the audiologist to get all the information they need about your child's hearing.
Make sure you plan ahead for the appointments.
It's best if other children don't go with you to hearing test appointments. It needs to be quiet for the testing, and it's a long time for other children to sit and be quiet.
Our Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officers can support and help you plan your child’s healthcare journey.
Watch our video and meet Greg and Lenore, our Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officers.
If you need to ask about travel, contact your family support facilitator, local health centre or health worker for more information.
Make sure you know:
If you live more than 50 km away, we can help you find out if you're eligible for the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS). This helps patients with travel and accommodation costs who need to use specialist medical services that aren't available in their local area.
Read more about the subsidy scheme on the Queensland Government website.
Seeing an audiologist is the first step. They'll test your child's hearing and will tell you the results at the appointment.
Your baby needs to be asleep for most of the testing so their movements don't interfere with the results. It's best if your baby is awake when you get to your appointment, but tired and hungry and ready to go to sleep. It is important that your baby has not slept just before or on the way to the appointment.
You'll have time to feed and settle your baby during your appointment.
The hearing tests will show whether your baby has normal hearing or has a hearing loss. If they have a hearing loss, the test will show:
Sometimes hearing tests show no hearing loss, but your baby may still be at risk for hearing loss that can take longer to show up. The audiologist will discuss any follow up testing to monitor your baby's hearing over time if needed.
While your baby may pass the hearing test, hearing can change over time. Refer to the Checklist for your baby’s hearing and speech and if you're worried about their hearing, contact your GP or health clinic for further advice.
If your baby has a permanent hearing loss, the audiologist will refer your baby to the Childhood Hearing Clinic, Healthy Hearing Family Support Service and Hearing Australia. These services will contact you to make an appointment.
Watch our video to see what happens at an audiology appointment.
Hearing Australia is an Australian Government service which provides hearing devices, including hearing aids, to babies and children up until they turn 26. They'll talk to you about the different hearing technology options for your baby. The audiologist who found your baby's hearing loss will refer you to Hearing Australia.
The audiologist may recommend your child also sees an ear nose and throat specialist (ENT), who's trained in the medical and surgical treatment of the ears, nose, throat. The ENT specialist will give clearance for your child to get hearing aids fitted if a permanent hearing loss is found.
Listen to one of our ENT surgeons, David Bell-Allen explain what happens during an appointment. You'll also hear from other parents.
A paediatrician is a doctor who specialises in the health and development of babies and children. They'll give you information and support on the health and development of your child. They may also organise other assessments, including blood tests, and referrals to other medical specialists, to try to find the cause of the hearing loss.
Listen to one of our paediatrician's, Dr Alison Harris talk about what happens during an appointment. You'll also hear from other parents.
The specialists involved in your child's care will talk to you about your child's hearing loss and the management plan. But sometimes it helps to write down any questions you have and take them to your appointments.
You may want to ask: