What can your child hear?
The results of a hearing test are plotted on a graph called an audiogram.
The audiogram below shows you where familiar sounds such as a dog barking or a telephone ringing appear. The hearing level in dB is plotted on the audiogram from top to bottom, with quiet sounds near the top. The pitch or frequency in Hz is plotted from left to right, with the low-pitched sounds to the left.
Compare your child's audiogram to the one below to get an idea of the kinds of speech and environmental sounds your child can or cannot hear.
A = Hearing Level in Decibels (dB) and B = Frequency in Hertz (Hz)
An audiogram tells you whether your child actually has a hearing loss, and if so, what kind it is and how severe it is. This will help the audiologist to decide what solution is best for your child.
The audiogram below shows the result of a child’s hearing test. The results from the left ear are indicated with blue. The results from the child's right ear are indicated with red. This audiogram shows that the child has mild to moderate hearing loss on the left ear and normal hearing on the right ear.
(A = Hearing Level in Decibels (dB) and B = Frequency in Hertz (Hz))
Generally, the degree of hearing loss is described using one of five categories. The notation "dB HL" refers to the hearing level in decibels.
- Mild (average from 25-40 dB HL)
- Moderate (average from 40-55 dB HL)
- Moderate/Severe (average 55–70 dB HL)
- Severe (average from 70-90 HL)
- Profound (average greater than 90 dB HL)
Even though two children have the same degree of hearing loss, the way it affects them varies, depending on their age and general abilities. By having your child's hearing tested you can find out what sounds they are likely to be able to hear.
