Did you know?

  • One in 22 infant babies born in the United States has some kind of hearing problem?
  • 83 out of every 1000 children in the United States have what is termed an educationally significant hearing loss?*

According to the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), it's important to catch and treat hearing problems early in a child's life. That's because hearing loss affects children in four important ways:

  1. It causes delays in speech language development.
  2. These language delays cause learning problems that can affect school success.
  3. Communication difficulties often lead to loneliness and poor self-concept.
  4. It may have an impact on later job choices.

But there's good news: Parents who detect a hearing problem and seek treatment early can lessen the impact of hearing loss in their children.

What are the signs of hearing loss? Your child may have a hearing loss if he or she:

  • Usually fails to respond when you speak quietly.
  • Pays little attention to verbal and sound cues.
  • Can't seem to follow directions.
  • Understands or speaks few words.
  • Has a hard time hearing sounds that come from the side or from behind.
  • Rarely responds to music.
  • Can't seem to hear the tone of your language -- the child can't tell when you are angry, sad, joking, etc.
  • Has difficulty telling the difference between similar-sounding words like door and store, and words beginning with f, s, or sh.
  • Tends to favor one ear when turning toward a sound.
  • Is unable to hear low sounds, such as the ticking of a watch.
  • Wants to turn the volume up very high or stand close to the TV, radio, or tape player. 

What Can Parents Do?

First, visit your doctor to see if your child has an ear infection or fluid in the middle ear. If your child has frequently recurring infections and/or chronic fluid in the middle ear, two additional specialists should be consulted: an audiologist and a speech-language pathologist.

An audiologist's evaluation will assess the severity of any hearing impairment, even in a very young or uncooperative child, and will indicate if a middle ear disorder is present.

A speech-language pathologist measures your child's specific speech and language skills and can recommend and/or provide remedial programs when they are needed.

Talk to your doctor if you suspect that your child may not be hearing well. It may be nothing, but early detection is key to long-term success in learning to speak and understand.


 

* (U.S. Public Health Service, [1990]. Healthy People 2000. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.)

Linda Wacyk and Irene Helen Zundel contributed to this article.