She's All Ears!

Monday, MM and I took Bunny to her Audiology Exam as a result of her two-year well-child checkup.  I explained why she needed the exam in this post, but basically, she is behind a bit in her speech, and hearing problems need to be ruled out.

As the exam drew near, I had the startling realization that we had no idea what to expect.  I made a quick "Help Me!" post on Facebook and got some great responses that put my mind at ease a bit, but I still didn't really know what we were heading into.  For that reason, I documented the whole experience so that if anyone else had a child in need of an audiology exam, they could come here and see what the process was all about.

A disclaimer, though.  This is just what OUR experience was.  Different doctors will probably do things slightly differently, but from those I've polled, their experiences were similar to ours.  Please don't assume your child's exam will be exactly the same.

First off, the test was totally non-invasive and, actually, quite fun for Bunny.  She was in good spirits that day, so if she had been in a grouchy mood, her reaction may have been different.  We got to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic and sat in the waiting room for quite a while.  It was interesting to be in a medical office with more than just children for a change.  Bunny quickly took over the waiting room and spent her wait running back and forth between our claimed seats and a Gumball/Peanut M&M dispenser on the other side of the room.

Wreaking havoc in the waiting room.  Luckily, it wasn't that crowded.

When we were called back, Dr. T., the Audiologist, led us to a dark room with a small, bright room (the "box") inside of it.  There was plenty of medical equipment in there to pique Bunny's curiosity and, while she explored, Dr. T., MM, and I discussed the procedure and the reason for the exam.

Step One: Dr. T. asked one of us to sit in a chair in the box with Bunny on our lap.  MM was selected as she had been a bit clingy with him in the waiting room, so we thought she might be more comforted by him.  Once they were settled, Dr. T. placed a series of instruments in each of Bunny's ears.  The first measured the vibrations of her ear drum, I assume via sonar, and the second was a series of beeps.  Bunny was good with the first instrument, but did NOT like the beeps.  Luckily, I had planned ahead and packed some of Bunny's favorites, M&M's, so I gave her some of those to get through the test.

In the "box", getting measurements done.

Step Two: Dr. T. closed up the box with MM and Bunny in it.  This part of the test consisted of a noise transmitting into either the left or right side of the box.  When Bunny looked in the direction of the sound, she was rewarded by a dancing, flashing figure that was mounted in the box, an elephant on the left, and a clown on the right.  Directly ahead, a puppy dog was mounted.  Dr. T. used the puppy to get Bunny to focus when she started anticipating a noise.  This went on for a while and actually turned into great fun as Bunny laughed and giggled as the figures moved.  (I meant to get pictures of the inside of the box, specifically the figures, but forgot as we were leaving.)

Locked in!!  :)

And guess what, that was it!  It really was just a two-step process!  The test itself lasted maybe fifteen minutes and we were able to get the results right away.  Bunny passed with flying colors.  Praise God!  Dr. T. said that her hearing was right in line with where it should be and that her ears were exceptionally clean and healthy.


So, it really was that easy.  If I had any pointers, it would be these:

1. As best as you are able, schedule the exam for a time when you know your toddler is usually in a good mood.  A cranky kid will get even crankier when you start shoving things in their ears.
2. Plan a distraction tactic for the ear measurements.  For us, it was M&M's.  You could take a favorite doll, a blanket, or even their favorite person.  I was glad we had it just in case, and you will be, too!

We are thankful that the hearing exam went well and even more thankful that Bunny doesn't have any hearing issues.  Now we can move on towards the next steps in supporting her linguistic development: continued learning at home and a speech evaluation with a professional.
 

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions about our experience with the audiologist, don't hesitate to ask!!