TESTING THAT WE PROVIDE...
Depending on the age of the child being referred for testing, a full hearing screening and/or an ear health check (otoscopy and tympanometry) will be performed on the Hear Our Heart Ear Bus.
Children aged 6 months to 3 years are typically only checked for ear health, as hearing testing in this age group can be challenging due to shorter attention spans and difficulty following instructions. For children aged 3 years and older, hearing tests can generally be conducted using play audiometry. At this age, children are more able to engage with the process, making hearing tests more successful.
If clinically necessary, otoacoustic emissions (OAE) testing can also be performed. OAE is a non-invasive test that measures the inner ear's response to sound, helping to detect hearing loss in younger children or those unable to participate in traditional hearing tests.
Our bus is specially designed for hearing testing and includes a sound-treated booth. However, if further testing or follow-up is required, clinicians may refer children to outside services such as Hearing Australia, an ENT, or a general practitioner.
DUBBO COMMUNITY CLINICS:
Community Day clinics are held monthly at our Dubbo HoH office and are available by appointment for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children.
Testing is open to children from any town, and donations on the day are appreciated.
REMOTE SCHOOL HOLIDAY COMMUNITY CLINICS:
Remote community clinic appointments are generally scheduled during school holidays and alternate between the surrounding districts of Dubbo, such as Nyngan, Warren, Narromine, and Wellington. Testing is open to children from any town, and donations on the day are appreciated.
If you are interested in booking an appointment or require more information, please contact The HoH office:
(02) 6884 8751 or [email protected]
DAYCARE/PRESCHOOLS & IN SCHOOL SCREENING:
In-school testing is currently only available to services that have joined the Hear Our Heart program. If you are unsure whether your children attend one of these services, please contact your service or our office directly.
Schools that have not yet joined the Hear Our Heart Project can do so by contacting our office.
Please note that there is currently a waiting list for services to join.
Children who attend participating services are triaged and identified for testing through the Conductive Hearing Loss Checklist, completed by parents and/or teachers.
Follow-up testing, if required, is conducted every 3-4 months through services that are signed up to the project.
WHAT IS TARGET TESTING?
We provide targeted testing for all children, from 6 months of age to Year 12 in high school, in both public and private schools in Dubbo and the surrounding districts. Sam and Lucy, the nose-blowing puppets, also attend testing clinics to promote prevention and awareness.
Targeted means children identified by schools or parents as having learning, speech, behavioral, or known hearing problems, in accordance with our Conductive Hearing Loss Checklist. We provide schools and parents with this checklist to help identify indicators of hearing loss. (Download it below)
Did you know?
We are the ONLY program in Australia that provides hearing testing for all children of all ages and all groups. Other states have testing programs, but they only test Aboriginal children in certain age groups.
| parent_hoh_hearing_loss_checklist..pdf |
WHAT DOES A HEARING TEST INVOLVE?
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OTOSCOPY The first part of the hearing screening involves examining the child's ear canal to check the health of the middle ear. A special ear torch, called an Otoscope, is used for this. We also have equipment called a Video Otoscope, which allows us to take photos of the eardrum. These images can be sent to an Ear Specialist if there are serious issues requiring immediate attention. |
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TYMPANOMETRY The second part of the hearing screening involves measuring the movement of the eardrum. A small plastic tip is placed in the ear canal, and a soft tone with air is gently blown from the handheld monitor into the canal. A graph is then printed, which shows whether the middle ear space is clear. It can also indicate if there is fluid or glue in the middle ear, where the ossicles (ear bones) are located, or if the space is air-filled as it should be. |
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AUDIOMETRY The third part of the hearing screening tests the hearing levels of both the left and right ears across a range of frequencies. Sounds may vary in loudness (loud or soft) and pitch (low or high). If there is a hearing loss, it may be temporary due to fluid in the middle ear. If the tympanometry test is normal and hearing loss is present, it may indicate damage to the hair cells in the cochlea. Further testing would need to be conducted at a Hearing Australia office, which supports children with permanent hearing loss. If the hearing loss is permanent, hearing aids can help. |
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BEFORE all this...of course there is the Healthy Ears lessons and Staff/Parent education!
Some handy parent information sheets:
| how_to_read_an_audiogram.pdf |