It is back to school season, and this has me thinking about how learning and hearing are intertwined. Language learning is complex, and relies heavily on both sight and hearing. Children rely on their hearing to play, interact, and gain knowledge. When a child has hearing loss, they are at a distinct disadvantage, and without treatment, may not develop the skills they need to live a productive life.
Two children in a hundred under the age of 18 have some form of hearing loss. This includes all degrees of hearing loss, from legal deafness to a mild impairment. Any degree of hearing loss can make interactions and learning more difficult. The earlier a hearing loss can be diagnosed, and treatment begun, the better the outcomes will be.
Symptoms of hearing loss in preschool and school age children include:
- Delayed Speech
- Unclear Speech
- Difficulty following directions, may seem to ignore another person
- Often asks “huh?”
- Turns the television or other audio source up too loud
Many children who have a mild or moderate hearing loss can hear sounds and speech, but often miss up to half of what is said. The stress and confusion for a child who is otherwise bright and talented but struggles to learn and excel at school can be profound.
The good news is that hearing loss can be diagnosed, treated, and many difficulties avoided. If you are concerned about hearing loss in your child, please schedule an evaluation today. It could make all the difference in a child’s life.
If you are concerned about costs, please know our clinic participates in several programs that make hearing technology affordable, and offer a sliding scale for payments if there is no insurance coverage.
For more information, please consider some of these resources: