Pediatric Testing
This page covers basic information regarding our fees, policies for pediatric appointments & some commonly asked questions.
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You are most welcome to call us should you have follow-up questions.
Fees
Please note that the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) does not cover comprehensive hearing assessments conducted outside of a hospital or Otolaryngology (ENT) clinic at any age. See FAQ for further details.
Appointment Details
Caregiver Policy
We kindly ask that you come to your appointment without other children or dependents due to the fact that you will be seated in a soundproof booth for a long period of time without the ability to supervise other children/dependents. We may need your participation with the child being tested, which further impedes your ability to supervise other children/dependents. There is a waiting room with toys and books for children however we do not supervise or take responsibility for children in this area of the clinic. You are most welcome to bring loved ones to the appointment, including your spouse, family member(s), and other children as long as they can be supervised/are supervised by another adult.
Current Waitlist
Our typical waitlist for appointments can range from 1 – 4 months. We do our best to triage you accordingly. Once your appointment is scheduled, you may request to be placed on our cancellation list. Please note that cancellation appointments may become available on short notice; however, there is no obligation to accept one, and you will retain your scheduled appointment while on the cancellation list.
Cancellation Policy
We require a minimum notice of 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Please be aware that insufficient notice for cancelling or rescheduling an appointment may result in a fee, which as of March 24 2025, is a minimum of $45, up to a maximum of the full assessment fee.
Appointment Timing
We kindly ask that you arrive 5-10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. We strive to see patients at their scheduled times. However, we appreciate your understanding that extenuating circumstances may occasionally cause delays in our schedule. We will see you for your full allotted time, and we will give you extra time, just as we did the patients before you, if it is appropriate and needed.
Clinic Times
FAQ
I have a concern regarding fees, where can I get an assessment wholly covered by OHIP?
As of the time of writing, spring 2025, there are three ways (that we know of) to obtain a fully OHIP covered hearing test. If your child has a medical issue pertaining to their ears you may obtain a referral to an otolaryngologist through your family physician. The specialist may, at their discretion, book your child for a hearing test in order to gain information for medical management of your child’s ear-related issue. Secondly, you can obtain a referral to the Pediatric Audiology Clinic at Royal Victoria Hospital. Referrals to this clinic are only accepted if your child is followed by a pediatrician. General Practioners/Family Physicians are not at liberty to refer children to this clinic. Finally, if your child has never obtained their Infant Hearing Screener (conducted at birth), given extenuating circumstances, you can contact this program for a hearing test.
I have a referral for a hearing test for my child; does that entitle me to an OHIP covered hearing test?
No, some services and treatments you are directed to through OHIP (like through your family doctor), are provided in the community. These may have fees associated with them.
Do you bill third party insurance directly?
No, although audiologists are licensed professionals, we are unable to bill your insurance company directly. However, unlike some clinics, we do only employ licensed audiologists and provide all our patients proper paperwork for submission. In doing so, we meet the criteria for most third-party insurance companies, should your plan cover a hearing test.
Why do you charge for your hearing test?
Our services are not covered by OHIP. Pediatric assessments are involved, they take time to complete properly and require significant follow-up work (ex. type-written reports, follow-ups with your child’s family doctor or school board).We share families’ sentiments about access to this crucial component of children’s development. Hearing is often neglected from a health-care perspective. We encourage you to write to your MPP to advocate for OHIP-covered hearing tests in the community, as we have done.
What happens if my child is non-compliant during the test?
We do our best to obtain accurate results at the time of testing. If this is simply not possible, our billing is predicated on time spent clinically with you and your child and you will incur our testing fee as described above.
I need an appointment sooner then your wait-list allows, where can I get that in the community?
Pediatric appointments are specialized – not every audiology clinic conducts them. We are one of two or three clinics in Barrie that tests young children. There is an online portal for our College (CASLPO) that comprehensively shows you clinical audiologists who conduct pediatric hearing assessments. You can search based on postal code and services at the following link: