Why Early Intervention of Hearing Loss is Important for Kids

Hearing loss in children can sometimes be difficult for parents and teachers to detect, and it is sometimes mistaken for a learning disability. Because undiagnosed hearing loss can cause significant language and social delays, it is vital that it is caught and treated as early as possible. The best thing parents can do is to have their children’s hearing checked on a regular basis, and become informed about how to help if a hearing loss is detected.

A few guidelines for parents

If your baby or child has been diagnosed with hearing loss, you may be wondering about the best ways to ensure they grow up happy and healthy. Here are some important guidelines to keep in mind. 

1) Early intervention is essential. There are now mountains of research that show that treating hearing loss as early as possible, in infancy, is critical for a child’s language development. Newborn hearing screenings are standard practice now, but if a hearing issue arises later on, have your child’s hearing tested as soon as possible. Treating their hearing loss early on will help to ensure their ability to make friends, learn to communicate successfully, and thrive in school.

2) Language acquisition is more complex for children with hearing loss. The building of language is foundational to every aspect of a child’s psychological development and future success. From language stems their ability to regulate their emotions, as well as understand and relate to the emotions and viewpoints of others. It affects their ability to process the world around them, to learn and remember.

For children with hearing loss, hearing aids are an essential tool in the acquisition of language. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also advises that parents use communication strategies that combine gestures and speech, such as lip-reading, natural gestures, American Sign Language, and finger spelling. Remember that language learning begins long before an infant is capable of speaking; the hearing and understanding of a parent’s voice that occurs in early infancy is extremely important as well.  

3) Become as informed as possible. Over the course of your child’s first years (and beyond) there will be many decisions to make. Fortunately, there is a lot of information out there, and many professionals who can offer guidance when it comes to decision-making. Meeting with audiologists, physicians, teachers, therapists and service providers can illuminate different strategies for treating hearing loss and help you to make the best choices.

4) Stay attuned to your child’s educational needs. The type of help your child needs to succeed in school will change from year to year. Although this is true of every child, children with hearing loss have specific educational needs that will need be addressed through the implementation of an individual learning plan. You and your child’s teacher, with the help of a hearing health expert, can work together to create this plan at the start of each school year. 

5) Be aware that your child may need extra psychological support. Hearing loss does not in itself cause emotional or behavioral problems, but children with hearing loss are at a greater risk of dealing with these types of issues. Feelings of isolation from their peers, low self-esteem and depression are among the negative effects that can sometimes result from hearing loss. You can help to ensure their emotional and social well-being by treating their hearing loss early with hearing aids–thus avoiding early language deprivation–and learning the best ways to communicate with your child. 

6) You and your partner will also need support and advice, and the hard of hearing community in your area is a good place to find it. Of course, you will want to seek out other parents of children with hearing loss to talk about your shared experiences, but speaking with adults with hearing loss can be a great source of help and information as well. Particularly if you and your partner are not hard of hearing, you will want to learn more about what may be a largely unknown world for you, educate yourself about living with hearing loss and resources for the hard of hearing in your area. The Hearing Loss Association of America has many chapters across the U.S. as well as local chapters that would be happy to provide guidance.   

Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services

At Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services, we provide pediatric hearing health care. To schedule a consultation and hearing exam, contact our team today.