LIH Olivia’s Place Beijing offers audiology services through a partnership with NEW WAVE European Hearing Solutions. NEW WAVE was founded in Shanghai in 2010 by Petter Vibe, an audiologist from Norway, and Daniel Balicki, an audiologist from Poland, with the mission to bring high quality audiology testing and intervention services to China. In Beijing, New Wave Hearing audiologist Peggy Liu provides services to children through LIH Olivia’s Place. Peggy is originally from Taiwan and completed her master’s degree in audiology at Melbourne University in Australia. She has nearly 15 years of experience as an audiologist in Taiwan and mainland China.
Audiologic Evaluation
This comprehensive evaluation consists of a test battery that evaluates the auditory system, including assessing the outer, middle, and inner ear, including the child’s level of hearing sensitivity, which is important for speech and language development. This evaluation is adapted to the child’s developmental level, which allows us to assess children, as early as 30 months of age. In cases of children aged 30 months to 6 years old a technique called play audiometry will be used. Test items include otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure tone audiometry.
Dr. Daniel Balilcki, Audiologist
Aural Rehabilitation Training and Evaluation
Diagnosing and treating hearing loss with an appropriate amplification device is the start of successful treatment. Some children may still have difficulty adjusting to their residual hearing and the amplification that they are using.After being fitted with hearing devices, a child needs time to adapt to them new devices and become familiar with the new sound. An aural rehabilitation evaluation can assess how well your child is adjusting, adjust the devices, and provide recommendations on how to conduct auditory training at home.
Central Auditory Processing Evaluation（CAPD）
Our audiologist has specialty training to provide testing for the diagnosis and remediation of auditory processing disorders. A central auditory processing evaluation may be warranted when children with otherwise normal hearing have difficulty listening to sounds and instructions. Family or teachers may have concerns about the child’s hearing. These children may mishear information (such as hearing “hot” for “hop”), have difficulty hearing in noisy environments, and have poor reading or spelling skills. This evaluation utilizes the Listening in Spatialized Noise – Sentences Test (LISN-S), developed by National Acoustic Laboratories, Australia, Researched base assessments evaluate how the brain perceives the sound it is hearing. Based on the pattern of results, specific treatment therapies or recommendations can be provided.
Cochlear Implant
Cochlear implant services treat severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss and provides comprehensive multidisciplinary care for infants, children and adolescents, while providing education and support for their families.
Pre-implant audiological examination and consultation with a cochlear implant specialist includes:
• Audiological and speech perception testing
• Discuss how cochlear implants work and explain the latest technology
• Discuss factors that can affect the child’s performance with a cochlear implant
• Discuss reasonable post-implant expectations
Post-implant services include:
- Post-implant follow-up appointment
- Post – implant evaluations and mapping
- Aural rehabilitation
- Coordination with local service providers
- Troubleshooting and maintenance
- Auditory Verbal Therapy
Hearing Protection/ Custom Swim & Musician Molds / Noise Protection Products
Our audiologists can recommend and order custom-fit products such as swim molds, hearing protection, musician ear molds, and instant earplugs that fit your child’s ear precisely.
Hearing Aids
There are lots of hearing aids manufactured in the world. We only work with manufactures that specialize in hearing aids for children. When hearing aids are needed, we consider the type of hearing aid and configuration of auditory input that each child needs for optimal language development. Each hearing aid is individually selected and programmed to meet the audiologic needs of the child. The effectiveness of the hearing aid is verified and validated with the latest technology and assessment tools to ensure that the child’s hearing aids are best fit to their age, hearing loss, and comfort to provide appropriate access to voices to help support speech and language development and access to environmental sounds. We provide onsite hearing device repairs and troubleshooting. Our audiologists are experts in assisting with accessories that can be coupled to hearing aids, including FM systems and Bluetooth technologies.
Hearing Screening Programs
School-age hearing screenings are an integral tool in identifying children with hearing loss who were not identified at birth or who developed hearing loss later. Without mandated routine hearing screenings in schools, students with unilateral, less severe or late onset hearing loss may not be identified or will be misdiagnosed and managed. Consistent protocols, screener training, and follow-up during the school-age years ensures that children with hearing loss are identified and their hearing loss is managed in a timely manner, thereby minimize negative academic consequences.