Hearing Loss in Children
Hearing loss in children is very common, in fact about 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children are born with hearing loss. Children can experience hearing loss at any point, from birth to later in childhood. Your child’s hearing plays a crucial role in their social, emotional, and cognitive development. It’s important to be proactive about your child’s hearing health in order to provide them with the resources necessary for success by visiting a pediatric audiologist and speech-language pathologist.

Newborn Hearing Tests
Testing the hearing ability of newborns and infants is different from the procedure for older children and adults since they cannot articulate what they can and cannot hear. The most common types of hearing tests used for newborns are:
- Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): provides information on how a child’s cochlea and neural pathway is functioning.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs): barely audible sounds given off by the hairs lining the cochlea. A small earphone is placed in the ear and a sound is played to elicit the release of OAEs. If no OAEs are detected, this could mean damage to the hair cells within the cochlea.
Hearing Tests for Children
For slightly older children, depending on their age, they are either taught to turn their head toward an animated toy or video (visual response) or drop a block in a bucket (conditioned play) when they hear a sound. These versions of pure-tone testing will discern single-sided hearing loss unless headphones are worn.
Hearing Milestones for Infants and Toddlers
Hearing milestones are developmental stages that indicate a child’s growing auditory and speech abilities. These milestones can vary, but they generally follow a typical progression.
Newborn to 3 Months:
1. Startle Reflex: Babies should react to sudden loud noises with a startle or physical response.
2. Cooing: Infants often begin to make soft cooing sounds in response to auditory stimuli.
3. Tracking Sounds: Babies may turn their heads or eyes toward the source of a sound.
4 to 6 Months:
4. Babbling: Many infants start babbling (e.g., “ba-ba,” “da-da”).
5. Responding to Familiar Voices: Babies become more responsive to the voices of their caregivers.
7 to 12 Months:
6. Imitating Sounds: Some infants can imitate simple sounds.
7. Recognizing Familiar Words: Children may start to recognize and respond to common words, such as their name or simple commands like “bye-bye.”
1 to 2 Years:
8. Expanding Vocabulary: Toddlers typically start to expand their vocabulary.
9. Following Simple Instructions: Children should be able to follow simple commands.
2 to 3 Years:
10. Sentence Formation: Children begin to form simple sentences.
11. Pronunciation: Although pronunciation may not be perfect, children should be intelligible to caregivers.
3 to 5 Years:
12. Fluent Speech: Children’s speech becomes more fluent and clearer as they refine their articulation.
13. Storytelling: They can tell simple stories, engage in conversations, and express themselves effectively.
It’s important to note that children may achieve these milestones at different rates. However, if you notice significant delays or concerns regarding your child’s hearing or speech development, you should consult with a pediatrician or audiologist for a hearing evaluation.
Pediatric Hearing Aids
Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic offers a variety of hearing aids specifically designed for children. Using the latest technology, these hearing aids can promote better hearing, speech, and development in your child.
To fit your child with a hearing aid, the following process will take place by one of our audiologists:
- Discussing and planning your child’s specific hearing needs
- Taking an ear mold impression
- Ordering and fitting the hearing aids
- Caring for, cleaning, and repairing the hearing aids as needed
- Staying involved and reevaluating your child’s hearing needs as they grow
We offer multiple styles of hearing aids for children. From fitting the hearing aids comfortably to your child’s ears to choosing fun colors, our pediatric staff will make this process easy for you and your child as you both navigate the world of better hearing.
Locations
Bellevue Clinic
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Lester Professional Building 1800
116th Ave NE, #103
Bellevue, WA 98004
- (425) 454-1883
- (425) 454-2036
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Office Hours
Monday: 8am - 5:30pm
Tuesday - Friday: 8am - 4:30pm
Kirkland Clinic
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Evergreen Surgery & Physicians Center
12333 NE 130th Ln, #430
Kirkland, WA 98034
- (425) 899-5050
- (425) 899-5054
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Office Hours
Monday - Friday: 8am - 4:30pm
Redmond Clinic
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Redmond Medical Building 8301
161st Avenue NE, #208
Redmond, WA 98052
- (425) 882-4347
- (425) 883-0043
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Office Hours
Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm
Saturday: 8am - 4:30pm