My daughter and son in law were worried. Their baby boy, my first grandson, did not react to sounds. He would not turn his head when you clapped. He would not startle at loud noises. The newborn screening said "refer." The doctor recommended an ASSR test. I had never heard of an auditory steady state response test. But it gave us the answers we needed to help our little boy.

What Is an ASSR Test

ASSR stands for auditory steady state response. It is a hearing test that does not require the baby to do anything. They do not need to raise their hand or turn their head. The baby can be asleep. The test uses small stickers called electrodes placed on the baby's head and behind the ears. Then the machine plays different sounds at different volumes and different frequencies into the baby's ears. The electrodes measure how the baby's brain responds to the sounds.

The ASSR test is different from the simpler screening done at birth. That screening only tells you "pass" or "refer." The ASSR test tells you exactly how many decibels of loss at each frequency. This information is critical for doctors to know what kind of hearing aid or treatment the baby needs.

What Happened During the Auditory Steady State Response Test

My daughter took my grandson for the auditory steady state response test when he was two months old. She was asked to keep him awake for four hours before the test so that he would fall asleep during the test. That was hard. A tired two month old is a cranky two month old. But she managed. Once he fell asleep, the audiologist placed five small electrodes on his head and behind his ears. Then she put soft earphones in his ears. The test took about forty five minutes. He slept through the whole thing.

The results came in a graph. The audiologist explained that my grandson had moderate hearing loss in his right ear and severe hearing loss in his left ear. He would need a hearing aid in both ears.

Life After the ASSR Test

Because of the auditory steady state response test, we knew exactly what was wrong. My grandson got his first hearing aids at four months old. He is now two years old. He wears his hearing aids every day. He is learning to speak. He says "Nana" to me. That word is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.

If your baby fails the newborn screening, do not panic. But do not ignore it. Ask your doctor about an ASSR test. The auditory steady state response test is safe, painless, and accurate. It will tell you what is wrong. And then you can get your child the help they need. Early intervention changed my grandson's life. It can change your child's life too.