Trying to get some imput...

[Jen]

Hi again...
I'm not sure how this site works, but I am trying to get some opinions or get some sort of feedback regarding my sons new test results...I posted a blog a few weeks ago about my son having a sedated ABR done and his results stated that he was profoundly deaf. We had booth testing done a few days prior to the sedated ABR and he seemed to be about 70-75db with out hearing aids behaviorally. He had his hearing aids turned up according to his new booth test results which weren't much different then what he has been since birth (about 10db different). Since he had his hearing aids turned up he has made huge strides in speech. I am just so confused with these results. We are going back to Childrens next week to have booth testing done with his hearing aids to see how he reacts and possibly make more adjustments. Has anyone else experienced a huge difference in results like us?? Can a profoundly deaf child respond to voice if their hearing aids aren't set to a profound level? He responds to voice without visual cues. Thanks for any information anyone can give!
Jen

[Karen Putz]

Hi Jen,
This sounds a lot like my oldest son. The initial ABR showed profound hearing loss but later testing showed a bit better. My oldest uses hearing aids with pretty good useage out of them. He's a candidate for implants but he's chosen not to pursue that route. He's 15 now.

[Jen]

Hi, Thank you so much for your response. If you wouldn't mind my asking did or does your son go to a typical school? Or does he go to a School for Deaf/HH? Does he sign or speak? or both?

Karen Putz said:

Hi Jen,
This sounds a lot like my oldest son. The initial ABR showed profound hearing loss but later testing showed a bit better. My oldest uses hearing aids with pretty good useage out of them. He's a candidate for implants but he's chosen not to pursue that route. He's 15 now.

[Michelle Wright]

I

[Michelle Wright]

I know this was posted a while ago, but I will share our experience with our daughter Sydney. We don't have any experience with the soundbooth but it might help explain why the ABR varies from the soundbooth yesting. She failed her newborn hearing screen, her first ABR at 1.5 mos. came back as severe/profound SNHL in her right ear and moderate/severe in her left ear. We asked for a second opinion from a pediatric audi with different equipment. Her second screen came back as mild/moderate(40 dB flat) in her left ear and moderate/severe in her right (45-70 dB).

When I asked the audi why the two results varied so much she said the tests came back pretty similar, it is how they are interperted. They look for and mark the "Wave V" to determine I believe the thresholds of the loss. Since it is not an exact science and it is open for interpertation there may be variation in how the results are read. We are requesting a board review where a panel of audi's will look over her results and see what they come back with. You may be able to request getting a second opinion using the testing that you already did to see if someone reads it differently.

There are so many variables involved as I understand it from asking her audi a million questions. If the equipment is plugged into an outlet the electrical current can interfere with the test. There is also a correction factor that should be applied which can lower the result by 10-20 dB. Also any external noise can interfer with the results. Then there is the interpertation factor. And lastly every hearing loss varies from individual to induvidual as I understand from the reading I've been doing. Two people can have the same type of hearing loss but hear totally differently. Clear as mud? So that has been our experience thus far. Good luck with your adorable son!