Comprehensive Hearing Support For Your Child

Child-focused, play-based, age-appropriate hearing solutions

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Hearing Testing

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Does your child need a hearing test?

Get answers at your first appointment.

  • Advanced testing that is comfortable and fun no matter the age and stage of your child
  • No waiting for weeks to find out if your child has a hearing problem
  • We are experts in testing children with special needs
  • Infant hearing
  • Concerns about speech
  • Failed hearing screenings
  • Auditory Processing Disorder Evaluations (APD)

Hearing Aid Support

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Does your child need ongoing hearing aid support?

We never want your child to be without their hearing aids

  • Same day appointments for repairs
  • Take advantage of loaner hearing aids when repairs require out of office service
  • Hearing aid programming as your child grows or their hearing loss changes
  • Modern pediatric hearing aid technology
  • Accessories for enhanced learning and recreation through bluetooth streaming
  • Pediatric Care Plans to help you stay in your budget
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Customized Treatment Plans

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Collaborative Treatment Plans

We coordinate with your child’s other providers to maximize their learning potential

  • Same-day treatment plans
  • Referrals to pediatric ENTs when needed to treat temporary hearing loss
  • Ongoing communication with your child’s therapists, school, and pediatric specialists

We would love to be your child’s audiologists. Here’s how to get started:

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Schedule An Appointment

Call to schedule your appointment. We prioritize getting our patients in quickly.
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Bring Your Paperwork

Download our patient paperwork on our patient resources page.

Our evaluations are done in a dedicated pediatric sound booth. They are child-focused and fun. Our goal is for you and your child to be at ease. If your child has sensory issues, let us know ahead of time and we can make a plan together for a successful experience.

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Get Your Plan

During your first visit, we will determine if your child has hearing loss and which type. You will leave with clear next steps for treatment.
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Lyndsey Bride Owner, AuD

Dr. Tonya Steed , Au.D., CCC-A

Audiologist

Dr. Steed received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of South Florida and her Master’s Degree of Science in Audiology from the University of South Florida. She completed her Doctorate in Audiology from AT Still University, Arizona School of Health Sciences.

For 13 years Dr. Steed worked at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, testing infants and children with hearing loss, collaborating with pediatric otolaryngologists and speech pathologists, and dispensing hearing aids. She was a provider in the Cleft Lip and Palate Team which operated out of the Sarasota Clinic, which ultimately prepared her to have a child who would one day have the same birth defect and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Prior to joining Adept Audiology Dr. Steed provided audiology services in a busy ENT practice. She is an expert at testing children and adults with disabilities, sensory issues, or those who just need a little extra TLC. 

“This career has affording me the privilege of seeing an infant hear for the first time, walk hand-in-hand with a teenager who is learning to advocate for better hearing, and assist a grandparent in hearing their grandchildren again.” Partnering with families to understand each other’s communication needs is one of Dr. Steed’s favorite aspects of being an audiologist. 

Dr. Steed is a devoted wife and Mom of three children, one with special needs. She is honored to use her wealth of experience, knowledge and compassion to provide exceptional hearing care to adult and pediatric patients at Adept Audiology.

Evaluating Infants and Children

We understand your apprehension. Our goal is to provide superior hearing healthcare to our youngest patients in a warm, supportive environment.  Our audiological consultations, analysis and treatment are highly individualized to meet the needs of both your child and family. Below is a brief explanation of a few of the procedures we may perform during your child’s visit.

Visual Reinforcment Audiometry

VRA is a method of hearing testing that relies on observing the child for responses to soft sounds that are coming through speakers in a sound booth.

Hearing Test

Pure tone testing finds how softly your child can hear all the sounds necessary for understanding speech. They will listen for sounds and respond either through playing games, raising their hand, or pressing a button.

Otoacoustic Emmission Testing

By placing a small, comfortable ear plug in the ear, this technology provides information about hearing without requiring a response from the patient.

Tympanometry

By placing a small, comfortable ear plug in the ear, this technology provides information about the status of the eardrum, status of tubes in the ears, and whether there is congestion or middle ear fluid.

FAQ

Does my baby really need a hearing test? I think they hear fine.
Babies are not reliable listeners. The screening of babies hearing at birth was created because some babies are born with partial hearing loss, making it unreliable for parents and pediatricians to truly know the baby’s hearing without formal testing. Finding out about a hearing loss when your child is two or three years old means that they will have a lot of listening to make up for, which may cause delays in school.
How can you test hearing in babies and small children?
We use specialized equipment for every age and assessment need. While your infant is sleeping or drinking, we will insert a small earplug in their ear which tells us about their hearing.
For older babies, toddlers, elementary aged, and specially abled patients, we make listening fun with games and technology.
Why does my child need a hearing test?
Hearing affects speech development, progress in school, and behavior. Ear infections can also cause temporary hearing loss. Having a thorough evaluation can help you determine the next steps for your child
What could cause my child to have hearing loss?
One in 300 babies are born with a hearing loss that can be genetic, caused by problems during pregnancy or at birth, or caused by unknown factors.

Chronic ear infections can cause hearing loss.

Noise exposure from fireworks, loud music, or playing percussion, brass, or piccolo in a band, or recreational firearms.

Sometimes we just don’t know.

Could my child's hearing loss be temporary?

We won’t know the answer to this question until we complete a through assessment of your child’s hearing, but below are a few common causes of temporary hearing loss in children.

Infection – Swimmer’s ear and otitis media can cause a temporary loss of hearing due to congestion that is either in the outer part of the ear or in the middle part of the ear. Once the infection and fluids subside, so does the hearing loss.

Blockage  – It is not uncommon for excess earwax buildup to cause temporary hearing loss in children. Although this is true, it is still important to remember to stay away from Q-tips. Excess earwax can be removed from a toddler or child’s ear by your pediatrician, audiologist, or ENT.

Middle Ear Fluid – When the middle ear holds fluid due to poor eustachian tube function, your child can have a mild hearing loss. If this persists more than three months, your child may need to have a hearing test or be seen by an ENT.

Additional Services for Infants and Children

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids can be worn by children of any age including infants. Each stage of your child’s development into adulthood demands different approaches to hearing aid fittings. We will walk with you through each of these stages to make sure your child is reaching their developmental speech, social, emotional, and educational potential.

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Pediatric Care Plans

Having a child or children with hearing aids can be expensive, especially if your insurance isn’t helping. We work with Care Credit to provide 0% financing for 12 months when your child needs new equipment and we also work with local organizations who may be able to assist with funding.

We also offer a plan that helps you budget the maintenance and office visit charges when you come to us with your own hearing aids.

FM Listening Systems

An FM system is an accessory device that helps the child hear one person who is speaking from a distance, like a teacher or a parent. With FM systems, the person who is speaking wears a microphone that sends the speech right to the hearing aids. This means that the listener hears the speech better than they are hearing competing background noise, such as classroom noise or car noise.

Swim Molds

Swim molds are custom made plugs that can be worn to limit water from going into the ear canal. Swim molds should be considered if your child’s eardrum is perforated, is prone to “swimmer’s ear,” or has ventilation tubes placed in the eardrum.

It can feel overwhelming when you have concerns about your child’s hearing

Adept Audiology is here to partner with you.

Our child-friendly environment provides the comfort and expertise your child needs to reach their full potential. 

Make An Appointment

Lakewood Ranch Location

11041 Gatewood Drive
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211

Sarasota Bay Club

1299 North Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34236

11041 Gatewood Drive Lakewood Ranch, FL

Sarasota Bay Club

Get in Touch

Ask a question or schedule an appointment below.

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Phone: (941) 312-4781

Fax: (941) 706-1294

office@adeptaudiology.com