Frequently Asked Questions
What people are asking
One of our qualified Paediatric Audiologists will perform the hearing test on your child.
There are several possibilities here but from a hearing point of view, the most common cause of speech delay in children is hearing loss caused by glue ear.
Sometimes babies' attention may be completely focused on another task. However, there are instances where a baby may not respond due to a hearing loss.
Although it is a good idea to rule out hearing loss if you are concerned about your toddler's speech, there are many other reasons why your toddler may not be talking.
No, Specsavers and boots do not have a Paediatric Audiology departments so are unable to see children for hearing tests.
We would advise against testing your baby's hearing at home as you could miss out on more subtle signs of a hearing loss. You should always contact a specialist children’s hearing clinic or ask your GP for advice.
In 2023, a private hearing test for children in the UK cost between £225 - £275
Yes, a child can develop hearing loss. The most common cause of hearing in children is glue ear.
You can contact your GP for a referral to your local Paediatric Audiology department. With the current pressures on the NHS, you may experience long waiting times. If this is the case, and you are looking to test their hearing privately, Verified Hearing has a Paediatric Audiology unit in London. They can also recommend other private audiology clinics that perform children hearing tests across the UK.
Play audiometry. Your child will be taught to perform an action when they hear the sound e.g. throw a ball when they hear the sound.
Play audiometry. Your child will be taught to perform an action when they hear the sound e.g. throw a ball when they hear the sound. We always go off your child’s developmental age. In some instances, children’s chronological ages do not correlate with their developmental age. If this is the case, your child may be more suited to visual reinforcement audiometry.
If your child is up to 2 years and 6 months old, they may be able to perform play audiometry. If they are younger, they will be tested using visual reinforcement audiometry.
You may notice your child does not respond to their name. They may also prefer the TV volume louder and show behavioural problems. Your child’s speech could be delayed too.
Speech delay, behavioural problems, asking for repetitions and mispronunciations to mention a few.
Poor academic performance, speech delay, behavioural problems, asking for repetitions, having the TV volume louder than other prefer and mispronunciations to mention a few.
Your toddler may not be ignoring you, have a developmental problem or a hearing loss. It is difficult to tell, and why we advise you to eliminate a hearing loss as a potential cause by arranging a hearing test for your toddler.
Your child may struggle to hear their teacher especially in the presence of background noise. They may also struggle in the playground and generally prefer the volume of devices louder. You may notice them mispronouncing words. A mild hearing loss can also cause behavioural problems, short attention span, and poor academic performance in children.
Your child may not be able to hear you. Arrange a hearing test to rule out a hearing loss. There are also other reasons why your child may not be responding but our advice is to ensure they can hear first before considering other possible reasons.
A newborn hearing test is performed for all children born in the UK. Following this, depending on the part of the UK they are, they may have a pre-school hearing screen in reception (age four). We have found that not all schools in the country offer this screening so if you are worried about your child’s hearing, either contact your GP for a referral to your local Paediatric Audiology department or book a private audiology appointment with us directly (you will not need a referral for this).
Your local Paediatric audiology department will be the best place to take your child for a hearing test. Unfortunately, sometimes due to current pressures on the NHS you may need to take your child for a hearing test privately. Verified Hearing is a good choice. The test would be performed by a private paediatric audiologist.
Absolutely, you can contact your GP to send your child to the hospital for a hearing test or book a private children’s hearing test (you will not need a referral for this).