This is an expensive and highly specialized test requiring an experienced professional. Behavioral Tests Behavioral hearing tests are used with children who are able to respond to sounds either by turning their head or by playing a game. For young children there are usually two evaluators, an audiologist outside the sound booth monitoring the testing and another one inside who plays games with the child. Sometimes a parent is allowed inside the booth as well. Testing usually takes less than one hour.
Behavioral tests offer three important types of information.
They measure the degree of hearing loss. They also assist in locating the source of the problem. These tests can also indicate how the hearing loss will affect the child's ability to communicate. Word Recognition testing measures the child's ability to understand speech at comfortable loudness levels. Middle Ear testing searches for the presence of fluid or other middle ear dysfunction.