Audiology Services for Infants and Children
Comprehensive Audiological Care
At A Sound Beginning, we offer comprehensive audiological evaluations for infants from birth to 6 months. Our dedicated pediatric team works to provide highly specialized care right when you need it to ensure early detection of hearing loss and intervention. Along with our convenient office location in Ellicott City, MD, we work closely with community partners to provide services closer to your home! Following a diagnosis of hearing loss, your family is referred to the appropriate providers in order to meet their communication needs.
Our Services
Newborn Hearing Screenings
Our center offers initial hearing screenings for babies who did not receive one prior to discharge from the hospital as well as follow-up screenings if your baby did not pass their screenings in the hospital.
Diagnostic Evaluations for Infants Under 6 Months of Age
We combine natural sleep ABR with additional objective measurements in order to get an accurate picture of just how well your baby is hearing.
Types of Tests
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)
An OAE test checks how your child’s inner ear responds to sounds. To do this, the audiologist will place a small earphone in your child’s ear to record the response. While this is not a test that determines how well your child is hearing alone, it is very useful for screenings and as a part of a comprehensive evaluation.
Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
An ABR is a test that measures how well your baby’s hearing nerve responds to sounds. Small stickers called electrodes are placed on your baby’s head and neck to measure the responses and tiny earphones are placed in both ears to present the different sounds.
Preparing for Your Visit
Our center completes ABR evaluations while your child is naturally sleeping in your arms or in a bassinet. To ensure your child sleeps for the duration of the test, parents should allow their child to arrive to the visit hungry and tired, as long as there are no medical reasons that would contraindicate this. Doing so allows your audiologist to get the most accurate responses from the test.
Bring along any comfort items that may help your child sleep better such as pacifiers, swaddle blankets, etc.
Your child’s audiologist will contact you prior to your visit to discuss more ways to prepare and answer any questions you may have.
Ready to Schedule?
This form is for new patients only. Current patients should call our office or email their audiologist.