Hearing

since he is over 3 yrs old the local school district will evaluate him for free, just have his parents call and set up an appointment.

You may also suggest they get his hearing professionally tested by an ear, nose, throat doctor. It's always better to know and solve a problem then to ignore one, either they will find out he has an issue and they can solve it, or they will find out he is fine and you and the parents will then know that he is fine.

My husband was a loud talker when he was small. His mother had his hearing checked several times throughout his childhood. Perfectly fine.

To this day he is the loudest one in the room. Just one of the things that make him who he is :) The funny thing is that he shushes the kids for being loud. We all say "oh, you're one to talk!"

A quick appointment with the ENT will relieve any concerns.

Both of my kids were the same way at that age. They would say WHAT? everytime I asked them a question. They both have perfect hearing. I think it's a stage. I always had to ask them to use their inside voices too. Although I did have my youngest hearing checked because his speech was delayed.
I would try doing the tests the other Mom suggested. Tell him you're going to play a game and get his undivided attention first. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

It would not hurt to have his hearing checked. I'd hate to have him wait until getting into school when they will start doing hearing tests as there could be things that could help him now. Good luck.

My niece ALWAYS talks loud and I know she doesn't have a hearing problem because she hears a conversation taking place in the next room "word for word". Some kids just talk loud.

Does his mom think it's a problem? Maybe they play loud music/t.v. at home and his ears are compensating for the loud noises. Maybe lots or screaming or shouting in his home area or wherever. Maybe he's not being listened to so he shouts. Lots of things can cause this.

My nephew was the same way. You can try to test him by standing behind him and making soft sounds. If he doesn't respond at all then definitely get him checked. He could have buildup in his ears or just going through trying to decipher everything. Or, as my nephews case, paying attn to a lot of other things.

My sons were always loud and now I have a couple grand kids who are the same. I think it's their personality. I finally came up with, "Honey, it's time to turn your volume down." Then I would pretend that he had a button on his tummy and used the motion to turn it down. It worked sometimes but they do outgrow it.

That doesn't necessarily mean that he has a hearing problem. It could mean that you don't have his undivided attention when you are talking to him. It could also mean that he has a significant amount of wax buildup in his ears that makes it hard to hear. My suggestion is to take him to the pediatrician for a checkup. Good Luck!