What is Hear Today?

As a specialist paediatric clinic we provide the full range of best-practice hearing tests for children from newborn to adulthood. We are part of the Earbus Foundation for WA, a not for profit children’s charity. Our services include:

Professional Care in a Relaxed Setting

  • Experienced Paediatric Audiologists provide a professional but personal approach to parents and children

  • Our centre is family-friendly with baby feeding welcomed and facilities provided for nappy changing and milk preparation

  • We provide the latest recommendations which are tailored to your family, without the jargon!

Hearing Assessments from Birth to Adulthood

  • Our clinic is one of few with the expertise and equipment to provide screening and comprehensive diagnostic assessments for babies from newborn to 6 months

  • We provide a monitoring service for children with Hearing Loss Risk Factors from birth to school age (and beyond if required)

  • We provide hearing assessments for children with or without referral from birth to adulthood

Ear Health Monitoring

  • We provide ‘tympanometry’ testing to track your child’s middle ear health (this gives information that cannot be seen by looking at the eardrum)

  • This detects middle ear congestion or infections that can come and go, particularly in winter

  • This congestion can cause a hearing loss and help your doctor decide on the best treatment for your child

Our Support Network

We may introduce you to other resources, including:

  • Referral to GP’s and ENT Specialists - our expert team, or as chosen by you

  • Referral to Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, early intervention education programs, hearing implant programs and Australian Hearing - the Australian Government Hearing Services Program for people under 26 years

  • Access to parent support services for children with a diagnosed hearing loss

  • Other Parents- those whose children have had similar ear health or hearing difficulties as yours

Children’s Balance and Dizziness: Diagnosis and Management

Our clinical team includes a consultant Audio-Vestibular physician

Easy Access

  • Central metro location just off the freeway

  • Parking within steps of our door

  • Statewide presence – from Kununurra to Esperance

Childhood Hearing Challenges

Newborn “Risk Factors” for Deafness

Annual hearing tests are recommended for all children with risk factors - even those who “pass” their newborn screening. Some types of hearing loss don’t show up for months or years.

Ear Infections (“glue ear”, otitis media)

80% of children have at least one ear infection by 3 years of age. Because they don’t always hurt, your child may not complain so you won’t always know. Symptoms include: excess crying, speech delay, vague responses, irritability, ear tugging, poor balance, turning the TV up.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

APD often follows a history of “glue ear” or ear infections. It can include difficulties with muffled speech or hearing when background noise is present, remembering instructions or long sentences – even when hearing and intelligence are normal.

Speech, Language & Social Behaviour Delay

These are the most common signs of hearing loss. To receive a Plain English list of “Speech & Hearing Milestones Birth to 5 Years” email admin@earbus.org Speech milestones include: child makes 2 or 3 different sounds (0-3 months), babbles (3-6 months), uses 2 or 3 words e.g. “mama”, dada”, bubba” (12-15 months)

Acquired Hearing Loss

In rare cases, illness or an accident may cause a permanent hearing loss in one or both ears.

Appointments

 

Children may be referred by parents, Doctors or other health and education professionals.

For enquiries or appointments, please contact us at: (08) 9328 4574

 

Download this Resource

All this information is from our informational brochure “Hear Today: Children’s Hearing Services”. A version of this information is available here for printing at home.

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