Get hearing screening and supports for children

What hearing services can your child get?

  • Hearing-loss evaluation
  • Hearing screening
  • Hearing-aid consultation and fitting
  • Hearing-aid repairs
  • Assistive-listening device
  • Custom earplugs for swimming or sleeping

Drop-in for basic hearing-aid clean and check

When: Monday to Thursday from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Availability: 1st-come, 1st-served basis

Do you need a referral for hearing services?

You do not need a referral for any services provided through Hearing Services.

Hearing screenings in the communities

Rural services are provided mainly through the community health nurses. Each health centre has access to hearing screening equipment for newborns and kindergarten-aged children. If you live in a community and are coming to Whitehorse, we'll try to co-ordinate your hearing appointment with your other appointments.

Screening for kindergarten-aged children

Your 5-year-old child can be screened at the annual pre-kindergarten health fair. It's held in May each year, in Whitehorse. Hearing Services visits Whitehorse area schools to do screenings for the students who did not attend the health fair.

Screening for infants at Whitehorse General Hospital

If your child is born at the hospital in Whitehorse, we'll start screening their hearing 12 hours after their birth. This happens through the Newborn Hearing Screening Program.

Newborn hearing screenings are essential in identifying hearing loss. Good hearing is important for speech and language development. The earlier we identify hearing difficulties, the sooner we can provide support.

If your baby did not get screened at the hospital

Contact Hearing Services to arrange an appointment for the screening test.

How is the screening done?

A maternity nurse will screen your baby’s hearing. The nurse uses a soft earbud to present sounds to each of you baby's ears. A computer measures your baby's ear’s response and a result is given immediately. The screening takes only a few minutes and can happen when your baby is quiet or sleeping.

When do you get results?

We'll either give you the results immediately, or we'll ask you to bring your baby to Hearing Services for a re-screening appointment.

If your baby passes the screening

This means your baby can hear in both ears.

What if your baby needs a re-screening?

  1. The maternity nurse will tell you if your baby needs a re-screening.
  2. You have to contact Hearing Services to set up an appointment.
  3. Phone 867-667-5913, or phone toll free in Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories 1-800-661-0408 extension 5913.

When should you see your doctor?

  • Where there's excessive wax or foreign body in your child's ear
  • Visible deformity of your child's ear
  • Pain or discomfort in your child's ear
  • Where there's discharge or drainage from your child's ear
  • When your child has dizziness
  • If your child's hearing loss is of short duration or has come on suddenly

Sounds and hearing reactions as your baby grows

You can expect your baby to make sounds and react to sounds by certain ages.

6 months old

  • Makes sounds such as "oo", "goo" or "bababa"
  • Reacts to noises, music and the sound of voices
  • Looks at the person talking

18 months old

  • Says at least 18 words that you understand
  • Looks to see where noises come from by turning their head in the direction of the noise
  • Understands simple spoken directions such as "get the ball"
  • Tries to repeat words

24 months

  • Speaks in 2-word sentences
  • Says at least 100 words (nouns and actions) that you understand
  • Can do what you ask
  • Likes to listen to simple stories and songs

30 months old

  • Sentences are 3 words long
  • Answers simple questions (who, what, where) using words or actions
  • Uses words such as "me", "it" or "in"

Download our brochure about hearing screening for infants.

Contact: 

If you have questions, phone 867-667-5913 or phone toll free in Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories 1-800-661-0408 extension 5913. Or, drop in to our office. It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

In person: 2nd floor, Royal Bank Building, 4114-4th Avenue in Whitehorse.