The majority of students are unlikely to have had their hearing checked since birth. Parents and carers are seldom aware that hearing can change after the newborn test and, as there’s no routine testing for preschoolers, hearing loss can go undetected.  Viruses, trauma, genetic disorders and, most commonly, persistent ear infections, can all contribute to a student experiencing hearing issues throughout their early school years. An estimated 1 in 10 children start school with some form of permanent or temporary hearing loss.

By conducting a simple hearing check with the free Sound Scouts app, you can ensure that students with hearing issues are identified and supported, enabling them to listen and learn.

Endorsed by Hearing Australia and funded by the Department of Health, the Sound Scouts hearing check app is free for children aged 4+. Over 100,000 tests have been conducted in more than 2150 schools across Australia. 

Sound Scouts is:

• evidence-based
• easy and fun to use
• includes 3 game based activities completed in 7 - 10 minutes
• provides an indication of a child's hearing & listening abilities, in quiet and in noise
• generates an automated report with clear next steps to be shared with parents/carers

Easily downloaded from the App Store, Google Play or Microsoft Store: https://www.soundscouts.com/au/download/

With the science built in, screenings can be conducted by school staff at a convenient time. All that is required is a touchscreen tablet, good quality adult headphones and a quiet space. Sound Scouts recommends the Sennheiser HD 300 headphones.

To ensure that no hearing issues are left undetected, ideally all students should be tested, but to begin, schools should test Kindergarten followed by Year 1 & 2 and then Year 4 students in preparation for the transition to high school. At a minimum, students with learning, behaviour or speech issues should be tested.

There is no charge to the school to use this service and Sound Scouts provides the resources & training needed to set up a screening program including parent permission forms, Screening Guide and access to the Sound Scouts Integrated Management Portal:

• School Resources:
  https://www.soundscouts.com/au/schools/school-resources/

• Understanding Results:
  https://www.soundscouts.com/au/support/#understanding-results

• Screening guide:
  https://simplebooklet.com/soundscoutsscreeningguide#page=12

• Sound Scouts Integrated Management Portal:
  https://ssimpl.soundscouts.com.au/portal/

Identifying a suitable person to oversee the screening program may be a challenge for some schools, however the person supervising testing doesn’t need to be a teacher, any responsible adult, such as a parent or support staff, can facilitate testing. Testing can be carried out in groups of two and can be done progressively over time.

Schools can also encourage parents to test at home by including information in their newsletters. Sound Scouts can provide a newsletter insert.

To get started or for more information, contact Sound Scouts on 1300 424 122 or team@soundscouts.com.au