HEARING TESTING
The incidence of congenital hearing loss is 1-3 /1000 births. Identification and remediation before 6 months of age is associated with near normal speech and language development. At shalom, we perform newborn hearing screening using otoacoustic emission (OAE), which is an objective method that screens hearing in a range of sound frequencies critical for normal speech and language development, for infants and toddlers. Also we perform detailed audiological test battery for all age groups who requires an audio metric testing. Our test protocols are easy and clean. Our expert audiologists will be able to provide you with, detailed hearing evaluation and communicate test findings as well as further guidance based on your requirement. Once the problem is identified it becomes easier for the doctor and patient to understand extend of the problem and the treatment procedures that has to be done.
Hearing Tests
- Tympanometry and acoustic reflex measures
Pure tone audiometry
Speech audiometry
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)
Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
Conditioned play audiometry (CPA)
Hearing Solution
Hearing impairment adversely affects an individual’s quality of life. Cochlear implants are the best technological innovations which help to overcome the effects of hearing loss to great extent.
Hearing Aids
These are instruments designed to amplify sounds to aid individuals with hearing impairment. We offer high quality and branded, digitally programmable hearing instruments of different types such as invisible hearing aids, behind the ear, receiver in the canal, completely in the canal and in the ear.
Cochlear Implants
A Cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted neuro prosthetic device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Cochlear implants bypass the normal acoustic hearing process, instead replacing it with electric hearing. Cochlear implants are recommended if the child has no benefit from binaural hearing aids and child’s degree of hearing loss is moderately severe to profound bilaterally. Adults with acquired hearing loss who have very little benefit from the hearing aids are also considered for cochlear implant.
Benefits of CI
Immediate benefit is observed in adults and it continues to improve for about 3 months, after which the progress becomes slower. Also their performance improves for several years. Children who receives CI shows improvement slower. Performance depends on age of implant, speech and language exposure pre- implant and stimulation after implant.They start to perceive all soft, moderate and loud sounds post implant.Ability to understand speech improves; dependency on lip reading reduces to a great extent even though sometimes lip reading along with CI provides better speech perception.With the help of accessories along with CI, making telephone calls, watching television, listening to music, group conversations and so on becomes easier.We perform mapping and auditory verbal therapy effectively at Shalom Speech and Hearing clinic.
Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)
Auditory verbal therapy is a parent centered approach in which the child with hearing impairment is trained to use hearing provided by CI or hearing aids effectively to develop essential speech and language skills. A child will not be able to speak clearly if hearing device is provided, it also requires ample amount of training to listen and speak. Here the therapist includes parents in the sessions and parents are taught how to train child at home there by making the child communicate effectively. This also helps enrolling a child with hearing impairment in normal school. Auditory verbal therapy has its main focus on learning through listening. The goals carried out in the sessions are not restricted to auditory goals it also involves other areas of speech and language.