Audiology - Paediatric (children's hearing)

The Paediatric Audiology (Children's Hearing) service is based at Mount Vernon Hospital. This service is for all Hillingdon-resident children (newborn to 18 years of age) who need hearing assessment, diagnosis and intervention such as hearing aids.

Failure to detect and treat hearing impairment at an early age may affect a child’s speech and language development, and can result in behavioural problems or learning difficulties.

In case you suspect your child may have a hearing problem

Ask your child's GP/health visitor/school nurse to refer them to our Paediatric Audiology Department at the Mount Vernon Hospital. Referral letters can be emailed to us to expedite your appointment.

Referral_form - Paediatric Audiology.doc [doc] 31KB

Assessment

When your child comes to our clinic for their first assessment the audiologists will carry out a range of tests. Some of these tests will depend on your child’s age and their development. The audiologists may not obtain all the information in one appointment, therefore several appointments may be needed. Most of the tests carried out will rely on your child co-operating for the tests. Below is a list of all the tests available in the Children’s Hearing Clinic (N.B Not all tests will be carried out at your child’s appointment).

Before your appointment

Try to bring only the child the appointment has been made for, as our policy states that all children under 18 must stay with their parents/guardian/carer at all times. This means that any children who accompany you to this appointment will have to join you in the test room which can interfere significantly with the tests performed on your child.

What to expect at your appointment

At the first appointment an audiologist will take a detailed history of your child’s development and ask of any concerns you may have. It may be useful to bring along the child’s Personal Child Health Record (PCHR) book which is the little red book which was given after your child’s birth.

There are a number of tests that can be used to find out about your child’s hearing, depending on your child’s age and development stage. Children under two are usually seen by two clinicians. Often we may use headphones or inserts (sponge ear tips) to find out how your child is hearing in each ear individually. It can be helpful if you practice using headphones with your child at home before your appointment with us.

After all tests are completed the clinician will explain the assessment results and send a copy of the assessment report to your home address, your GP and to other relevant healthcare professionals involved in your child’s care.

Services

We offer two types of services: Diagnostic and Rehabilitative. Diagnostic services refer to appointments that are used to investigate a child's hearing. The assessment process (a range of different tests) is used to establish a child's level of hearing. When a hearing problem is identified, it is through the diagnostic procedure that we can identify the severity and nature of the hearing impairment.

Rehabilitative services refer to any appointment after a hearing problem has been identified. We will adopt a management plan specific for your child and this may include the provision of hearing aids and referral to other services or health professionals with parental consent. Please note that the appointment will take approximately 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the type of appointment.

Useful information for hearing aid patients