Paediatric Services | Telethon Speech & Hearing

Paediatric Services

Telethon Speech & Hearing provides complete audiological assessments for pre-school and school aged children. This includes hearing tests and assessments of the middle ear to determine if there is an indication of glue ear.

Those with a hearing impairment who wear either hearing aids or a cochlear implant, will receive comprehensive assessment, management and support. Audiological services are performed by an Audiologist. Children who are diagnosed with a permanent or transient condition may require further medical intervention. A referral will then be made to a GP or Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialist. For transient conditions, the child is monitored until the condition is resolved and back to normal. If the hearing loss is permanent, a referral is made to the ENT Specialist and to Australian Hearing for hearing devices.

There are several indicators for normal listening and speech & language development for pre-school aged children:

  • Able to speak in sentences and use connector words such as “and”
  • Enjoy telling stories about activities
  • Role play in conversation
  • Speech is understood by unfamiliar people most of the time
  • Enjoys reading books
  • Can watch television without turning the volume up too loud
  • Can often hear questions clearly for the first time, without having to repeat

Potential cochlear implant recipients are assessed by the multi-disciplinary