Your child has shown signs of impaired hearing and you want to take them to a specialist as soon as possible. While that sounds simple enough it is not – many parents in the UK have to jump through hoops to get their children to be treated for hearing deficiencies. While your GP may want to diagnose and treat the problem they will usually not have the right tools or even expertise to come up with the most accurate diagnosis. Your local hospital may have both of these things, but you may be put on a long waiting list – many months may go by before your child can be tested during which time their hearing gets worse.
Don’t despair – you can still get your child the diagnosis and treatment that they need if you find a private audiologist. This is a medical professional who is trained in auditory matters – they can diagnose different kinds of hearing loss and work with parents to come up with treatments and coping mechanism that allow the child to develop as normally as possible.
There are several good audiologists in the UK so it is up to you to decide on which one will serve your needs best. You may want to discuss the matter with your GP – he knows doctors in the field and he can guide you to one who can help your child. The issue of cost is a concern for many parents. If your insurance doesn’t cover the cost of diagnosis and treatment you shouldn’t be deterred – book an appointment anyway and have a talk with the doctor. They usually have programs for parents who are not able to pay large sums of money to have their children treated for hearing loss.
One of the best is Cheary, an audiologist clinic located in London. They have highly trained professionals to help both you and your child. You can learn more on their website, http://www.chears.co.uk/.