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Parent Resources

Welcome Parents and Caregivers!

Children use their hearing to learn about the world around them and to develop communication skills. The impact of hearing loss on a developing child can be significant, so the sooner issues are detected, and treatment or management is provided, the better the outcomes will be for the child.

Hearing issues can develop at any age, so it's important to screen your child's hearing regularly.

To check your child's hearing please use the Hearing Screening Guide available below to ensure a reliable result.

Hearing Screening Guide Thumbnail
Hearing Screening Guide
View and download

Some things to keep in mind…

Before Testing

  • Test your child when they are well rested. If your child is tired it's hard for them to concentrate, which can impact their results. We advise against testing children before bedtime.
  • To administer the test it's important that you use good quality ADULT headphones or earbuds (earbuds should not be used for school testing) with an Apple or Android tablet or smartphone. Children's headphones and gaming headphones should NOT be used! Check out our headphones page for more information on choosing the right headphones. Where possible we recommend children under 8 years are tested using a tablet, as smartphone screens are not ideal for little ones.
  • Be sure to test in a quiet room free from distractions.
  • Let your child know that sometimes they won't be able to hear the sounds in the game, and that's okay! It's all part of the game. Ask them to only tap the screen when they hear the special sounds or words.

    • During Testing

  • Use the Trial Run, located under the New Session tab, to demonstrate to your child how to interact with the three test activities. We like to do this with the headphones out so we can hear the words and sounds and ensure the children are interacting correctly.
  • Complete the short adult activity (with the hot air balloons) to the best of your listening abilities. If you have an existing hearing issue, have someone with good hearing complete the set-up activity. It's important that this activity is done properly.
  • Supervise your child throughout the test to ensure they are interacting correctly. Occasionally there will be onscreen alerts that parents may need to read.
  • Occasionally children get frustrated when they can't hear the sounds. Reassure them that it's okay and that the noises will get louder (when testing we usually say 'it's OK, keep listening').
  • Only intervene when necessary and endeavour to minimise any possible distractions.

    • After Testing

  • If your child passes, they don't need to repeat the test. We suggest testing once a year or any time you have concerns about your child's hearing or if you have concerns that changes in their behaviour may be linked to a hearing issue.
  • If your child received a borderline or fail result, wait 24 hours and repeat the test to confirm the result. If a second fail result is received, follow the suggested advice in the Sound Scouts report.

    • Contact us at contact@soundscouts.com.au should you require further guidance on your child’s results or administering the test.