The aim of the present study was to investigate at what ages children
were able to participate in play-conditioned audiometry in a clinical
setting. Data concerning age and gender for 294 children (182 boys and
112 girls) were continuously recorded with details regarding audiomet
ric method and number of successfully determined thresholds. Some chil
dren were tested more than once, resulting in a total of 449 examinati
ons. The results are compared with those of other studies in which vis
ual reinforced audiometry (VRA), condition-orientation reflex audiomet
ry (COR) and play-conditioned audiometry are used, and show that in a
clinical setting it is possible to determine at least one threshold in
more than 35% of children tested at ages above 16 months. At 2 years
of age, about 50% of the children are able to establish thresholds at
least at three frequencies and from 3 years of age nearly 75% of the c
hildren could establish 6 thresholds or more. It is concluded that VRA
, COR and play-conditioned audiometry should be considered along with
objective hearing tests like brainstem audiometry (ABR) or measurement
of otoacoustic emissions (OAE) when assessing hearing in infants and
small children.