Should my child have a hearing test?
If you are concerned about your child’s speech and language skills, you should have his or her hearing tested in a sound proof booth with a licensed audiologist before pursuing speech therapy.
In my phone interview, I always ask parents: “Has your child ever had a hearing test in a sound proof booth?” I always get one of three responses:
1. “He had his hearing tested at birth and he passed.” This is a misconception because that was a hearing screening (not a test) and it only screened your child’s hearing at THAT time.
2. “The pediatrician gave him a hearing test and he’s fine.” Again, this was a screening, not a complete hearing test in a sound proof booth with a licensed audiologist.
3. “He can hear everything, I’m not concerned.” I’m sure he can hear, but he may have difficulty, for example, hearing high frequency sounds such as S and F, which could make it difficult for him to produce these sounds accurately, or understand certain words in rapid conversational speech, especially in a classroom setting.
To determine if your child can hear accurately, have him or her complete an audiological exam.
Below are Pediatric Otolaryngologists (Ear, Nose and Throat / ENT physicians) that have licensed audiologists available to test your child’s hearing. At some of these offices you will meet with the physician and the audiologist for a thorough exam:
Michael Rothschild
1175 Park Avenue (&93rd)
New York, NY 10128
212-996-2995
Jacqueline Jones
1175 Park Avenue (&93rd)
New York, NY 10128
212-746-2236
Will Bernstein
530 First Avenue, 3C
New York, NY 10016
212-263-8237
Max April, Robert Ward
240 East 38th Street
14th Floor
New York, NY 10016
646-501-7890
Vikash Modi, Alison Maresh
428 East 72nd Street
Oxford Building, Suite 100
New York, NY 10021
646-962-2224
646-962-2225
Joseph Haddad
16 East 60th Street
4th Floor
Suite 470
212-326-8475
Sujana S. Chandrasekhar
18 East 48th Street
New York, NY 10017
212-249-3232
646-868-4300
Another option is to only see an audiologist:
Steven Saunders, PhD
211 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024-6020
212-721-3775
Michelle Kraskin Au.D., CCC-A
Supervisor, Audiologist
Department of Otorhinolaryngology
Hearing and Speech Services
1305 York Avenue
5th Floor
New York, NY 10021
646-962-2231
mlk2003@med.cornell.edu