Question
What should I do when I receive audiograms that do not provide any information about aided hearing?
Answer
Tell the audiologist that you need to understand what the aided hearing is because that is how the child has to function. Specifically say to the audiologist that you need the following: an aided audiogram right ear alone, left ear alone; speech perception for the right ear alone, the left ear alone, and binaural; at normal and soft conversation; in quiet and in noise. You need to go back to the audiologist if you are not getting the information. Without that information, you will not know what to expect from a child with a hearing loss.
Dr. Jane Madell is Director of Pediatric Audiology Consulting. She has been a pediatric audiologist for more than 40 years. Dr Madell’s clinical and research interests have been in the area of evaluation of hearing in infants and young children, management of hearing loss in children with severe and profound hearing loss, selection and management of amplification including cochlear implants and FM systems, assessment of auditory function, and evaluation and management of auditory processing disorders.
