There is no need to wait. The earlier the better. It is important to diagnose hearing loss as soon as possible so your child does not miss out on early learning and language development opportunities that start at birth.

Your baby will need to be asleep for the testing. The younger a baby is the more likely they will sleep for the full length of the test.

Diagnostic testing on children ages birth to five is conducted by a pediatric audiologist.

It is important to bring the newborn hearing screening results and information on existing medical conditions and any prior hearing test results.

Diagnostic hearing testing could take up to two hours to complete and requires the baby sleeps during the auditory brainstem response (ABR) portion of the testing. As a result, it may not always be completed in one visit. This is not uncommon. It just means that another appointment may need to be scheduled to complete the testing.

• If more than one appointment is going to be needed, be sure to ask how long the wait is for the next appointment.
• If another appointment is needed, it is important to make the second appointment as soon as possible so that next steps are not delayed.

Preparation for the test depends on the age of your child and the kind of testing being done. Contact the pediatric audiologist to ask about what you'll need to do to prepare. Typically, when testing infants, they will want the child to be sleepy/tired and/or hungry.

If possible, for older babies and toddlers, schedule appointments around their best waking time (after naps or early mornings) so the child is more likely to participate during the audiology testing. You might want to bring snacks or make sure they have just eaten before the appointment.

Sometimes the child may not want to participate and the hearing test cannot be completed. If this is the case, the pediatric audiologist may provide strategies helpful for obtaining hearing results at the next appointment. If test results cannot be obtained, the pediatric audiologist may recommend a hearing test that uses sedation.

You may need a referral from your child’s doctor for the hearing test to be covered by your insurance.

Medicaid is government-funded health care for low-income children and families.

Private health plans are health insurance plans offered by employers to their employees. An individual can also purchase a private plan.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) provides federal funding (supplemented by state funds) for school-based services for all children ages 3–21 years who qualify to receive services.

Children younger than 3 years of age may qualify for your state Early Intervention (Part C) program.

Some programs are based on financial need; these can assist with costs related to audiology services, hearing aids, assistive devices, and speech-language pathology services.

• Experience does matter, but smaller facilities with fewer patients often provide excellent services.
• Top quality facilities can be found in both urban AND rural areas.
• Talk to other parents about their experiences with different facilities.
• If concerns about the testing results exist, you can seek the opinion from another facility.

Do you need an interpreter? If you will need an interpreter during the appointment, please be sure to ask when you are making the appointment.

Can I bring a friend/family member? Sometimes it feels like there is a lot of information being shared. It's okay to ask about bringing someone to assist and take notes.

Are there other fees/costs that I need to be prepared for at the time of appointment? Consider asking the clinic or your medical insurance plan if there will be a copay for the service. Amount of copay, if any, depends on the type of insurance plan and whether the medical professionals are in or out of your plan network. Additionally, some clinics/facilities may charge for parking.

If your child is under 3 years of age, you should be referred to the Early Intervention (Part C) program in your state. The referral is often made by your child's pediatric audiologist or physician. As the parent, you can also contact the Part C program or coordinator to make the referral yourself.

Medical tests - such as vision, ear, nose, and throat (ENT); and genetics - may be recommended to find the cause of your child's hearing loss and to make sure there are no other health concerns.

An audiogram is a graph or chart that displays the results of your child's hearing test.

• How much hearing loss does my child have? For example, what sounds can my child hear and what will he or she not be able to hear?
• What do the test results mean? Please explain any new words (e.g., sensorineural, conductive, mixed, mild, moderate, severe, auditory, neuropathy, etc.) in a way that I can understand.
• Is the hearing loss permanent?
• Is the hearing loss treatable?
• Can you tell me if my child's hearing loss will change or get worse?
• Do both ears have the same hearing loss?
• How often should my child's hearing be tested?

Many online resources are available to help you learn more about your child's hearing loss.

Contact with parent/family support organizations will allow an opportunity to connect with other parents on this journey of raising a deaf or hard of hearing child. Parent support organizations are available to work with families in every state. Visit the "Find Family Support" page for more information on these organizations.

Unidentified hearing loss is detrimental to your child's language and communication development. Identifying hearing loss early gives you the opportunity to make choices about how your child and family will communicate.

25% of hearing loss is caused by non-genetic factors, such as illness.

In another 25% of hearing loss, the cause is never found.

If you do not know the cause of your child's hearing loss, genetic counseling can be helpful. You can find out if your child might have additional medical needs and/or if you are likely to have other children with hearing loss.

The results should automatically be sent to your child's doctor, the state's newborn hearing screening program Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program, your state's Early Intervention (Part C) or preschool/school-age (Part B) program (with your permission). Although they are sent automatically, it is always a good idea to verify results are received.