March 24, 2026
Meet Earl!
Importance of Hearing Screenings
Meet Earl, my Peace Pal who helps prepare my little friends for a hearing screening!
In 2015, I completed my training as a certified child life specialist (CCLS). During my training I learned the importance of procedural support for different medical interventions such as MRIs, blood draws, and modified barium swallow studies. Child life specialists often use medical dolls or puppets for children to understand and prepare for a procedure. Earl has special holes in his ears so a child can place the ear bud first in his ear. My most recent friend told me Earl passed his hearing test and he mentioned Earl needed a haircut!
When I worked at Child Find (a public schools special education program for children ages 2-5 years of age), I learned the importance of hearing screenings. When a child is experiencing speech and/or language delays, it is important to rule out hearing as a possible reason for the delay. Sometimes children are experiencing fluctuating hearing loss due to fluid or wax build up. If a child is not hearing at all frequencies, key speech sounds may be omitted (see speech banana). I purchased an Otoacoustic Emissions device (OAE) from HearX®. OAE connects to a phone via bluetooth technology and, through HearX® platforms, generate reports that can be shared with parents.
I am excited to incorporate hearing screenings into my private practice as part of the evaluation process!