Big impact for little ears: Madeleine helps children hear, learn and play

Paediatric audiologists have a lifelong impact on a child - something Madeleine Pearson will never take for granted. Once a patient of Hearing Australia herself, Madeleine has come full circle to deliver the same gold standard of care to her own patients. 

What does childhood sound like?

Think back to your happiest childhood memories. What do you remember? For many of us, it’s wrapped up in sensations. Licking delicious chocolate frosting from your fingertips at a birthday party. The feeling of your stomach dropping when you get to the tippy-top of the swing set. Joining your siblings to belt out off-key harmonies in a living room performance.

These moments matter so much. But for children who experience hearing loss, these moments can be harder to grasp. They can’t quite hear the shared joke, may not be following the Friday night movie, or struggle to keep up with classroom fun. 

Yet, with early intervention and a family-led journey, a whole new world can be opened up for these children. It’s something Audiologist Madeleine Pearson is deeply committed to.

“I was a paediatric client of Hearing Australia when I was a child, so that’s where my passion came from. Now, working in paediatric outreach myself, I help children and families through their own ear health journey. I want children to have the best outcomes, so they can laugh, sing and learn with their friends - so they’re not missing out on the best parts of childhood.”

The journey to better ear health

Madeleine grew up in a coastal city in New South Wales, and felt a career in audiology calling to her when she was a teenager. She was in a session with her own audiologist when they asked what she wanted to pursue after high school.

Madeleine’s response? “I think I want your job!”

Starting her Hearing Australia career as an intern in Newcastle, Madeleine quickly learned the ropes and eventually moved into an outreach role in the Northern Territory. In 2019, Hearing Australia received funding to roll out a new initiative: the Hearing Assessment Program - Early Ears (or HAPEE). Madeleine helped develop a team to support children living in urban areas with their hearing health, and after the success of this program, she moved up to become the Clinical Operations Manager for the Northern Territory.

“The HAPEE program is where some families start their ear health journey. We look at child development holistically - there are a lot of milestones to measure, from hearing and talking to social connection. It's a family and parent-led journey, supported by the community. There’s an opportunity for people to identify concerns and make sure children get that early intervention.”

Working in an outreach role isn’t without its challenges. But Madeleine believes the impact you can have makes the tough days worth it. She says returning to a community after a few months and being welcomed with open arms is always a wonderful moment.

“In outreach work, we often connect with people who are up against a lot of hurdles. They might have a language barrier they’re trying to overcome or an illness that’s hampering them. Hearing loss is just another adversity. When we help someone on their hearing journey, we know we’ve given them one less thing to worry about.”

Making each other’s day

It’s obvious that Madeleine finds great purpose in the care she delivers to her clients. But she says a career with Hearing Australia brings so much more - and it’s thanks to the wonderful people surrounding her every day.

“One of our values is ‘making our client’s day’, but it’s about making each other’s day, too. Everyone works together to create a great workforce that we’re excited to keep coming back to. It’s powerful to be able to make a difference in someone’s life, so we all want to support each other to provide what the community needs.”

Madeleine has found an abundance of support at Hearing Australia. Now in a manager role herself, she supports her team to grow their career while delivering the best possible care. While the opportunities for professional learning and development are plentiful, Madeleine says it’s the experience you’ll gain every day at Hearing Australia that really sets your career apart.

“Training and preparation are important, but at the same time, there’s only so much they can teach you in an office. There’s a lot of learning on the job, especially in outreach. But there’s an environment of support built in at Hearing Australia - there’s always someone there.”

This content features real employees of Hearing Australia, sharing their own personal comments, views, opinions, and individual experiences of Hearing Australia.