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Introducing and practicing performance type hearing activities at home

Why have I been given this information sheet?

You have been given this information sheet because your audiologist thinks that a performance game would be the best way to test your child’s hearing. This may be because another type of test has been tried and wasn’t successful but they weren’t quite ready to do a performance game in the clinic.

We find that for many children, coming to the audiology room can be daunting and they can be nervous of new people. Therefore, if children learn the game at home they then it is likely to be much more successful when we introduce it in the clinic.

What is a performance game?

A performance game is a very reliable way of testing children’s hearing once they are old enough to understand and enjoy the game.

It involves waiting for a sound signal and then completing an activity. Varied activities can be used to keep the child interested in the game and depending on their development we can complete quite complex hearing tests if needed.

What do I need?

  • A tambourine, drum or way of making a loud sound.
  • A box of blocks, pegs, rings on a stick etc.

What do I need to do?

  1. Hide the box of items and give your child just one at a time.
  2. Hold the item in your child’s hand and put it to their cheek.
  3. Make the loud sound and guide your child’s hand to do the task. This may be putting a block in a box, putting a ring on a stick, rolling a ball across the table.
Tips

Help your child to ‘wait’ for the signal until you feel that they are waiting themselves.

Guide your child to do the activity until you feel that they are doing it themselves.

Children learn at different speeds and so your child may learn the task in a couple of minutes or it may take weeks of repetition. If your child becomes frustrated then do the activity for only a minute at a time.

Involve other members of the family or even favourite teddy bears by asking them to have a turn.

If there is a task that has been successful at home then feel free to bring it to the clinic.

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth a galwadau ffôn yn y Gymraeg neu'r Saesneg. Atebir gohebiaeth Gymraeg yn y Gymraeg, ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at oedi. Mae’r dudalen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg drwy bwyso’r botwm ar y dde ar frig y dudalen.

We welcome correspondence and telephone calls in Welsh or English. Welsh language correspondence will be replied to in Welsh, and this will not lead to a delay. This page is available in Welsh by clicking ‘Cymraeg’ at the top right of this page.