You can get your child’s hearing tested at a pediatric audiologist’s office, your pediatrician’s clinic, a children’s hospital, a local health department, or through your child’s school. The right option depends on your child’s age and whether you need a basic screening or a full diagnostic evaluation.
Pediatric Audiologists
A pediatric audiologist is the gold standard for childhood hearing testing. These specialists use age-specific methods that general audiologists typically don’t, adjusting their approach based on your child’s developmental stage. For babies under six months, they measure how the brain responds to sound while the infant sleeps, requiring no cooperation from the child at all. For toddlers between about 7 months and 3 years, they use a technique where animated puppets or cartoon clips reward the child for turning toward sounds. For preschoolers ages 2 to 5, the audiologist turns the test into a game, asking the child to drop a block in a bucket or place a peg in a board each time they hear a tone.
To find a pediatric audiologist near you, use the directory on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website (ASHA ProFind), which lists over 20,000 certified audiologists accepting referrals. The American Academy of Audiology also maintains a searchable directory. Your pediatrician can refer you directly, and many children’s hospitals have audiology departments that accept appointments without a referral.
Your Pediatrician’s Office
Routine hearing screenings are built into well-child visits at specific ages. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screenings at ages 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, then once between ages 11 and 14, once between 15 and 17, and once between 18 and 21. These office screenings are quick pass/fail checks, not full evaluations. If your child doesn’t pass, the pediatrician will refer you to a pediatric audiologist for a complete diagnostic workup.
If you have concerns about your child’s hearing between scheduled screenings, you don’t need to wait. Ask for a screening at any well-child visit, or request a referral to an audiologist directly.
Hospitals and Newborn Screening Programs
Nearly all babies born in the United States receive a hearing screening before leaving the hospital. The test uses one of two methods: one measures sounds produced by the inner ear, and the other measures brainwave responses to sound. Both are painless and take just a few minutes.
If your baby doesn’t pass that initial screening, the next step is a follow-up with a pediatric audiologist, ideally by age 2 to 3 months. The hospital staff or your pediatrician can help you schedule this appointment and connect you with local specialists. Don’t delay or skip the follow-up if your baby was referred. A failed screening doesn’t always mean hearing loss, but confirming results early makes a significant difference if intervention is needed. The audiologist may also recommend a visit to a pediatric ear, nose, and throat doctor to check for treatable causes like fluid in the middle ear.
School-Based Screenings
Most states require free hearing screenings at specific grade levels in public schools. The exact schedule varies widely by state. Some states, like New York, screen at pre-K, kindergarten, first, third, fifth, seventh, and tenth or eleventh grade. Others, like Minnesota, only require screening at kindergarten entry. Common patterns include screening at school entry, every year or two during elementary school, and once or twice during middle and high school.
School screenings are basic pass/fail tests, similar to what your pediatrician does. They’re useful for catching problems that develop over time, but they aren’t diagnostic. A child who fails a school screening will need a full evaluation from an audiologist. If your state doesn’t screen at your child’s current grade level, or if your child attends a private school that doesn’t offer screenings, you’ll need to arrange testing through another provider.
Health Departments and Low-Cost Options
County and city health departments often provide hearing testing for children on a sliding fee scale based on income. Some offer services at no cost for children under three through early intervention programs. University audiology clinics, where graduate students perform testing under faculty supervision, are another affordable option in many areas.
Organizations like the Lions Club also sponsor free hearing screenings in some communities, particularly at health fairs and community events. These are screening-level tests, not full evaluations, but they’re a good starting point if cost is a barrier.
Insurance Coverage for Hearing Tests
Under the Affordable Care Act, most private health insurance plans must cover pediatric hearing screenings with no out-of-pocket cost to families. This falls under the required preventive services for children. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) also cover hearing screenings and diagnostic testing for children. If your child needs a full diagnostic evaluation after a failed screening, check with your insurer about coverage, but in most cases pediatric hearing assessments are fully or largely covered.
Signs Your Child May Need a Hearing Test
Outside of routine screening schedules, certain behaviors at specific ages suggest it’s time to get your child’s hearing checked. In the first three months, a baby with typical hearing startles at loud sounds, is soothed by soft voices, and turns toward you when you speak. By 6 to 10 months, a child should respond to their own name, recognize common words like “cup” or “shoe,” and babble regularly, even when alone.
Between 10 and 15 months, children with normal hearing start imitating simple words, point to familiar objects when asked, and follow one-step commands when shown a gesture. By 18 months, a child should follow simple spoken directions without needing a gesture, know 10 to 20 words, and use short phrases to ask for things. Between ages 2 and 3, they should understand simple yes-or-no questions and phrases like “in the cup” or “on the table.”
If your child consistently misses these milestones or seems to hear inconsistently, turning up the TV volume, not responding when called from another room, or watching your face intently to understand you, those are reasons to schedule a hearing evaluation rather than wait for the next routine screening.