Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Hearing loss can affect a child’s ability to develop communication, language, and social skills. A hearing loss can happen when any part of the ear or auditory (hearing) system is not working in the usual way. A congenital disability, injury, disease, certain medications, exposure to loud noise, or age-related wear and tear are factors that can cause hearing loss.
Types of Hearing Loss
- Conductive Hearing Loss: caused by something that stops sounds from getting through the outer or middle ear and often can be treated with medicine or surgery.
- Sensorineural Hearing Loss: occurs when there is a problem with how the inner ear or hearing nerve works.
- Mixed Hearing Loss: includes both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
- Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder: occurs when sound enters the ear, but because of damage to the inner ear or the hearing nerve, it isn’t organized so the brain can understand.
About Disorder
Signs and Symptoms
Signs in Babies:
- Does not startle at loud noises.
- Does not turn to the source of a sound after 6 months of age.
- Does not say single words, such as “dada” or “mama” by 1 year of age.
- Turns head when he or she sees you but not if you only call out his or her name. This sometimes is mistaken for not paying attention or just ignoring, but could be the result of a partial or complete hearing loss.
- Seems to hear some sounds but not others.
Signs in Children:
- Speech is delayed.
- Speech is not clear.
- Does not follow directions. This sometimes is mistaken for not paying attention or just ignoring, but could be the result of a partial or complete hearing loss.
- Often says, “Huh?”
- Turns the TV volume up too high
Signs and Symptoms
Screening and Diagnosis
Don’t wait. If you have concerns about your child’s hearing, ask the doctor for a hearing screening as soon as possible. The Center for Disease and Control and Prevention suggests.
If the child does not pass a hearing screening, ask the doctor for a full hearing test.
If the child is diagnosed with a hearing loss, talk to the doctor or audiologist about treatment and intervention services.
