Auditory adaptation is the phenomenon of auditory perceptual changes caused by auditory stimuli acting on the auditory organs for a longer period of time. Exposure time under strong noise is short and the hearing threshold is increased by more than 10 dB, which can be recovered by leaving the noise environment for a few minutes. When this phenomenon occurs, it is generally manifested as a decrease in the perception of the stimulus sound and its frequency similar to the sound, but this decrease is generally temporary, not long after the cessation of the stimulus sound, the perception of the auditory organs will return to normal. What is the differential diagnosis of pathological auditory adaptation? Otoacoustic emission (OAE) This test can be done quickly without the active cooperation of the child, so it is often used for audiometry in newborns. To obtain the activity of the hair cells in the inner ear during acoustic stimulation, the child needs to be quiet or asleep. Brainstem evoked potentials (ABR) This test detects brain waves based on acoustic stimulation and also does not require the child’s active cooperation. It takes a little longer than the otoacoustic emission test. The results of this test are very useful in the selection of hearing aids for children. Therefore, the test takes longer, so it is best to perform it while the child is sleeping. Brainstem evoked potentials are a more accurate method of objectively observing hearing. It is painless and is not influenced by the patient’s subjective will or state of consciousness, but requires complete relaxation and can be performed while sleeping, under anesthesia or in a coma. ABR can be affected by the age, gender, temperature, medication, mental status, test environment, filter range, and electrode position of the subject. Multifrequency steady-state evoked potentials (ASSR) This test is an objective audiometric method with frequency characteristics that is gaining ground in recent years. It is used clinically in conjunction with auditory brainstem evoked potentials to provide a direct basis for early diagnosis of deafness and early hearing compensation. Generally, in 95% of cases, the difference between the infant’s hearing threshold predicted by ASSR and the behavioral audiometric threshold is within 20 dB. The more severe the hearing, the closer the ASSR threshold is to the behavioral audiogram in infants and children. Several studies have demonstrated that the ASSR can accurately test hearing in younger infants and children, while increasing the accuracy of fitting hearing aids to infants and children.