Hearing Tests for Children
Follow Up Hearing Tests
Hearing Milestones

Ensuring Healthy Hearing

To achieve optimal language outcomes, regardless of mode of communication, follow the 1-3-6 Plan.

Newborn Hearing Screening 1 Month


  • Obtain a newborn hearing screening in the hospital or audiologist.


Diagnostic Follow up Testing by a Pediatric Audiologist 3 Months


  • Obtain a diagnostic hearing evaluation from an audiologist if your child failed the newborn hearing screening.
  • Obtain a referral to the Missouri First Steps early intervention program immediately upon diagnosis of hearing loss.
  • Obtain an Ear, Nose, & Throat (ENT) physician evaluation.
  • Obtain an assessment for amplification (hearing aid) within one month of diagnosis.


Enroll in Early Intervention 6 Months


  • Begin early intervention services.


Next Steps


  • Referral to the missouri first steps early intervention program immediately upon diagnosis of hearing loss
  • Ear, nose, & throat (ENT) physician evaluation
  • Assessment for amplification (hearing aid/cochlear implant) within one month of diagnosis


1-3-6 Resources

1-3-6 is the Nationwide Benchmark to ensure that infants with hearing loss achieve their best hearing and language outcomes outline by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH).

To read more about 1-3-6 visit:

The following guidelines are provided by ASHA American Speech Hearing Association.

Birth to 3 Months

  • Alerts to sound.
  • Quiets or smiles when you talk.
  • Makes sounds back and forth with you.
  • Makes sounds that differ depending on whether they are happy or upset.
  • Coos, makes sounds like ooooo, aahh, and mmmmm.
  • Recognizes loved ones and some common objects.
  • Turns or looks toward voices or people talking.

4 to 6 Months

  • Giggles and laughs.
  • Responds to facial expressions.
  • Looks at objects of interest and follows objects with their eyes.
  • Reacts to toys that make sounds, like those with bells or music.
  • Vocalizes during play or with objects in mouth.
  • Vocalizes different vowel sounds—sometimes combined with a consonant—like uuuuuummm, aaaaaaagoo, or daaaaaaaaaa.
  • Blows “raspberries.”

7 to 9 Months

  • Looks at you when you call their name.
  • Stops for a moment when you say, “No.”
  • Babbles long strings of sounds, like mamamama, pupu, or babababa.
  • Looks for loved ones when upset.
  • Raises arms to be picked up.
  • Recognizes the names of some people and objects.
  • Pushes away unwanted objects.

10 to 12 Months

  • By age 10 months, reaches for objects.
  • Points, waves, and shows or gives objects.
  • Imitates and initiates gestures for engaging in social interactions and playing games, like blowing kisses or playing peek-a-boo.
  • Tries to copy sounds that you make.
  • Enjoys dancing.
  • Responds to simple words and phrases like “Go bye-bye” and “Look at Mommy.”
  • Says one or two words—like mama, dada, hi, and bye.

If you believe your child is showing signs of hearing loss, please contact us today. We can properly determine your child’s hearing ability, regardless of age, and determine if there is a hearing loss. As a family-centered practice, we encourage your entire family, as well as your pediatrician, to be involved in all aspects of this process.

Hearing Consultants has proudly provided audiologic oversight and follow up care for the SSM Health System Newborn Hearing Screening program since 2010.

Why Is It Important for Newborns to Have Their Hearing Tested?
Children with any degree of hearing loss, involving one or both ears, need early intervention and services by six months of age to develop language, social skills, and academic levels comparable to their peers with typical hearing. This is true regardless of the type of hearing loss (conductive, sensorineural, mixed, or auditory neuropathy), and the communication mode chosen (e.g. sign language, listening and spoken language or some combination of the two). Early access to specialized interventions and services results in improved outcomes for children with hearing loss.
Do All Newborns Have Their Hearing Tested?
Yes, since 2001, Missouri has mandated hospitals and birthing centers screen newborns for hearing loss prior to discharge.
How are newborns testing in the hospital?
You can expect your baby to be screening around 24 hours of life.  Most hospitals complete this screening in a quiet space to ensure an accurate test. The test can take from 10 to 60 minutes depending on a variety of factors.   It is usually done while the nurse has your newborn for its other routine evaluations.

There are two types of hearing screenings used to screen hearing in a newborn.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)-Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) hearing screening is conducted with a small earphone or “probe.” Placed in the child’s ear, the probe delivers a series of quiet sounds that travel through the ear canal and the small bones in the middle ear to reach the inner ear organ called the cochlea. A cochlea that is functioning normally responds to sound by sending a signal to the brain, while also producing an “acoustic emission” – a very small sound wave response — that travels back through the ear. The emission is picked up by a tiny, sensitive microphone inside the probe, the response is analyzed by the screening unit, and in about 30- 60 seconds the result is summarized on the screen as a “pass” or a “refer.”

Auditory Brainstem Reponse (ABR or ABEAR)- The auditory brain stem response (ABR) tests how the auditory nerve and brain stem (which carry sound from the ear to the brain) respond to sound. During this test, your baby wears small earphones and has sticker electrodes painlessly placed on his or her forehead and behind each ear. The electrodes adhere and come off like stickers and should not cause discomfort.  The response is picked up by the sticker electrodes and the response is analyzed by the screening unit, and in about 2-5 minutes and the result is summarized on the screen as a “pass” or a “refer.”

How many newborns fail their 1st hearing test?
4-10% of newborns fail their hearing screening in the hospital. Approximately 3 in 1000 babies go one to be diagnosed with permanent hearing loss.
My Baby Failed Their Hospital Hearing Screening Now What?
A Hearing Consultants pediatric audiologist will call your either before you are discharge from the hospital (week days) or the day of discharge to explain the screening results and answer any questions you may have. We will also schedule your baby’s follow up diagnostic hearing test within 2-3 weeks.

The diagnostic hearing test includes a more comprehensive Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) which will be interpreted by the audiologist. We will test your baby’s hearing in both ears at several different pitches (frequencies). You will receive preliminary results the day of the test. We will also make recommendations for follow up, if necessary and communicate the results with your baby’s pediatrician.

Ready to Begin Your Journey to Better Hearing?

Contact our hearing professionals today to begin.

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