The Effects of Hearing Loss on Your Child’s Development

Identifying hearing loss in young children is difficult and, in some cases, may not be detectable until the age of two. Unfortunately this is a vital period of development in your child’s life. If you detect the symptoms (will place a link here to the symptoms of hearing loss blog or eBook) early on, you have a chance of lessening the overall impact hearing loss can have on your child’s development. Hearing loss that goes undiagnosed could potentially lead to:

• Not Reaching Normal Milestones
  Although each child reaches developmental milestones at their own pace, it should still occur within a certain timeframe. For instance, if your child is not using ‘mama’, ‘dada’, or other simple words between six or nine months, this could be a sign of hearing loss. A child experiencing hearing loss may exhibit garbled speech or show an inability to understand simple terms.

• Poor Academic & Social Skills
  The language deficit can adversely affect a child’s vocabulary, sentence structure, and speaking ability, causing learning problems that result in poor grades. Inadequate language skills can also affect communication with peers, leading to feelings of social isolation.

• Emotional Effects
  The above effects can take an emotional toll on your child. Children with hearing loss endure low self-esteem issues and possess a general “out of place” feeling when it comes to socializing with other children. Many feel their hearing loss prevents them from partaking in group activities, such as sports or social functions.

As previously stated, hearing loss detected early on will present less impact on your child’s development. If you have any questions regarding symptoms you’ve noticed in your child or have general hearing loss related questions, feel free to contact us directly. We would love to assist you. Remember, your diligence can make a difference!