Hearing Loss May Cause Reading Problems in Children

Hearing loss in children is more common than you think, and can cause a lot of learning challenges, like difficulty interacting in the classroom, struggling with concentration and developing speech, and problems with reading and writing. If you think your child has hearing loss, get them the help they need to learn, study, and grow during this critical period.

Hearing Loss in Children

Hearing loss can be caused by a number of factors, from illness or injury, to a build-up of ear wax. It can also have genetic causes and be present at birth. Whatever the cause, suffering from hearing loss as a child, even a few months, can have some serious outcomes. Children grow so fast it seems like if you blink you’ll miss it, and they’re suddenly four sizes bigger and talking your ear off about their day at school. During the first years of life, we’re constantly learning new things like how to interact with parents, teachers, and peers, and developing the skills that we’ll use the rest of our lives. Missing even a few months due to hearing loss can have life-long consequences and leave your child struggling to catch up.

Signs Your Child May Have Hearing Loss

In school-aged children, detecting hearing loss isn’t always easy. If your child isn’t noticing you or responding when you speak to them, they may not have heard you. All kids say “What?” a lot, but this is another sign that they might not have heard you. Listen carefully to your child. They may even tell you they didn’t hearing you. While we often assume that means they’re just not paying attention, and repeat our instructions, but take a moment to consider if it may be true, and your child actually can’t hear well.

Other signs to watch for include asking for the TV volume to be turned up or favoring one ear more than the other. Does your child focus on you intensely when you’re speaking? This could be a sign that they’re struggling to hear and understand you. If you’ve noticed one or more of these signs, contact us at Orange Country Physicians’ Hearing Services to book a hearing test, and do the right thing for your child’s future.

Hearing Loss at School

Another sign of hearing loss is problems at school, like falling grades, or complaints from the teacher that your child isn’t participating or responding appropriately.

A recent British study by Helen Breadmore at Coventry University looked for links between hearing loss and reading and writing problems in nearly 200 children aged 8 to 10 years. 25% of the kids with reading problems had hearing loss! The shocking thing about this study is that none of the parents or teachers reported that the kids had any hearing loss. While hearing loss goes undetected, it has some very obvious consequences, like reading and writing problems, increased peer conflict, or an inability to focus in the classroom. “Many children in school may have an undetected mild hearing loss, which makes it harder for them to access the curriculum,” the study concludes.

Hearing Aids for Kids

Our children’s hearing aids are sleek behind-the-ear devices from some of the world’s top hearing aid manufactures. They come in subtle colors to match skin and hair tones, or in vibrant colors to allow your child to express themselves and fall in love with their hearing aids. With features that will help them hear at home and in the classroom, these devices have the power to change your child’s life, and guarantee an exciting future based on all that they’ll learn now.

If your child has hearing loss, the best thing you can give them is the gift of hearing. To learn and grow normally, they need to get back to interacting with the world around them, and with their hearing peers at school and in the neighborhood. Does your child have reading problems? Is the teacher complaining they’re not paying attention, or answering appropriately?

Call us at Orange County Physician’s Hearing Services to schedule a hearing test and talk about hearing devices. Living with hearing loss will interfere with your child’s ability to learn, grow, socialize, and play, as well as affect their ability to read, write, and communicate.