According to the CDC, 14% of children may have some degree of hearing loss by the time they reach adulthood.* For some children, the loss is hardly noticeable, but for others, it can have a profound effect on various areas of their development. Hearing loss and auditory processing disorders affect more than just how your child takes in information. If your child can’t hear properly, her speech and language skills may be delayed; this delay can be mild or severe, depending, in part, on the degree of hearing loss. It’s important that she be able to effectively communicate with her parents, peers, teachers, caregivers, and the world at large.
- A child who has difficulty hearing, or processing what she hears, may not understand school assignments and could fall behind academically. A bright and capable child might struggle in school, simply because she can’t hear the teacher’s instructions. Adults might see her as uncooperative or undisciplined, because she doesn’t always hear what the rules are the first time. Friendships can be hard to make and maintain due to the inability to perceive and process things like tone of voice and other verbal cues.
- If you suspect that your child has a hearing loss or auditory processing challenge, the first step is to get an auditory evaluation. Signs that your child has a hearing difficulty include not turning his head toward sounds, not being startled by loud noises or being overly sensitive to sounds, difficulty following directions, speech delays, and turning the television up too loud or sitting too close to it. These signs are often the first clues that an evaluation is necessary.
- If the evaluation indicates that your child does have trouble hearing, the next step is to figure out why. Knowing as much as we can about the source of the problem, as well as how the challenge is affecting other parts of your child’s life, helps us to develop the best plan of action.
We understand that hearing and listening difficulties can affect your child’s learning and development, and we’ll create a comprehensive treatment plan to ensure that your child gets the appropriate therapies. In addition to therapies, we’ll look at other options that can help, such as hearing aids or assistive communication devices. Our qualified audiologists can fit your child for hearing aids, monitor his progress, and adjust them if necessary. Together, our team of professionals will do our best to treat the whole child, from providing the most up-to-date technology to offering emotional support and strategies for continued success.
Source: www.cdc.gov
You are the most important advocate your child has. Be sure your child gets his or her early screenings. You could make a huge difference, not only in their first years, but in all the ones to follow! If you have questions or concerns, contact our team at Carolina Pediatric Therapy, we’re here to help and make sure your little one reaches their full potential! Schedule a screening today, call us at 828-670-8056.
Hearing Loss: Beyond the Auditory Evaluation
-April Fox, Staff Writer
Carolina Pediatric Therapy © April 2014
