If you have a young child that you don't think can hear well, it can be hard to determine if they do have this problem. This is because young children are too young for a doctor to do a traditional hearing test. Fortunately, there are other ways to test young children's hearing. One of these ways is using VRA testing equipment. Below is information on what this type of equipment is, and how it can be used for your child. You will also find information below about signs you can watch out for to know if your child has a problem with their hearing.
VRA Testing Equipment
VRA stands for Visual Reinforcement Audiometry and many doctors or other specialists use this type of equipment for hearing tests. If you choose this, ask the doctor or specialist what type of equipment they use as this can make a big difference in how well the equipment will work. No matter what equipment is used, however, they all basically work the same in testing hearing.
How VRA Works
When a doctor uses VRA on toddlers and preschoolers, an audiometer is used. Along with the audiometer, a special type of speaker is used. These speakers are known as field speakers. When a doctor uses this equipment on your child, they will play soft sounds through the speaker and into the audiometer. Both of these things will measure your child's response to each sound that they hear.
Because your child is young it can be difficult to keep them still long enough to finish this testing. Because of this, the doctor or specialist will use things like LED lights that change colors, showing movements, and much more.
Signs You Can Watch Out For
If your child is a toddler, they may have very limited speech and maybe no speech at all. Your child will also lose their attention very easily and you will notice they are having a difficult time learning. If your child is watching television, they may turn the volume up very loudly. If you are talking to your child they may not respond to you at all or it may take a longer time to respond than it should.
If a loud sound plays quickly, such as someone quickly turn up a television or a radio very loudly, your child should hear this sound immediately. If you notice that they do not turn their head to see where the sound is coming from, this is a big sign that they have a hearing problem.
Take your child to the doctor as soon as you think they are having a hearing problem. Your doctor will then likely refer you to an audiologist to start testing your child's hearing.