Fairfield General Hospital - Audiology Equipment

The Audiology Department at Bury treats children from birth right through to adulthood. It is crucial to detect any hearing difficulties as early as possible in order to minimise long-term speech problems, and to fit hearing aids as soon as any problems are detected.  

 

The Toy Test is a measure of a child’s ability to hear speech, both with background noise and without. It is used on children who are developmentally over two and a half years old. The Toy Test comprises a small hand-held digital device, a speaker and a collection of standard toys. The device will say the name of a toy at differing volumes and with different levels of background noise, and the tester will then record the outcome. This toy test is standardised and produces sounds at certain levels from a pre-determined distance. For the first time this test has words spoken in background noise and it is a valuable tool in treating children already fitted with hearing aids, and those who have not yet been fitted.

 

The device is designed to be used with children of all ages and abilities, so no speech is required, just recognition. As well as diagnosing hearing problems, it is also useful for monitoring hearing and the success of hearing aids in children with pre-diagnosed conditions. This new device is much more portable, easy to use and robust than the previous models. In addition, the picture test is in colour for the first time, which will make it far more attractive to younger children.

 

The Toy Test and the picture tests cost a total of £7,878. 38. As a charity we do not pay VAT on medical items.