The Power of Early Intervention. Early intervention is key for children with hearing impairments. It can make a big difference in their development and future success. The earlier a child's hearing loss is identified and treated, the better their chances of developing language, speech, and social skills on par with their hearing peers. Early intervention typically includes hearing aids or cochlear implants to help the child access sound, along with speech therapy and other specialized services. Learn more about the importance of early hearing detection and intervention from the CDC. How Hearing Affects Development. Hearing is critical for speech and language development in young children. Babies start learning to communicate long before they say their first words. When a baby has hearing loss, it limits their exposure to sounds and voices. This can lead to delays in speech and language milestones. Hearing is also important for overall brain development. Lack of auditory stimulation in early childhood is linked to differences in brain structure and function. That's why identifying and addressing hearing loss as early as possible is so important. It gives the child's brain access to sound during the key window of auditory development. Identifying Hearing Loss. All babies should have their hearing screened before leaving the hospital or within the first month of life. This allows hearing loss to be caught and treated early. Signs of hearing loss in babies can include:  Not startling at loud noises Not turning toward sounds after 6 months old Not saying single...

Early intervention for hearing impairments is vital for language, speech, and social development, with parents playing a key role.

The Transformative Impact of Early Intervention for Children with Hearing Impairments

What is Hearing Loss? Hearing loss is a condition where a person's ability to perceive sounds and understand speech is reduced. It can range from mild to profound and may occur in one or both ears. Hearing loss affects people of all ages but is more common in older adults. There are different types of hearing loss, including conductive (problems with the outer or middle ear), sensorineural (damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve), and mixed (a combination of both). The causes can include aging, exposure to loud noise, infections, genetics, and certain medications. Symptoms of hearing loss may include difficulty understanding speech, frequently asking others to repeat themselves, turning up the volume on the TV or radio, and withdrawing from conversations. If you suspect you or a loved one has hearing loss, it's important to see a healthcare professional for an evaluation. Diagnosing Hearing Loss. If you think you might have hearing loss, the first step is to see your primary care doctor. They can examine your ears and do some basic hearing tests. If they suspect hearing loss, they will likely refer you to an audiologist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor) for more testing. A hearing test, also called an audiogram, is the main way to diagnose hearing loss. During this test, you will wear headphones and listen to sounds at different volumes and pitches. The results will show the softest sounds you can hear at each pitch. Other tests may include a physical exam...

Hearing loss impacts communication, leading to social isolation. Treatment varies based on cause and severity.

Understanding Hearing Impairments and Beyond

 Almost every school activity, including listening to teachers, interacting with classmates, singing along in music class, following instructions in physical education, etc, depends on the ability for students to process sounds and have a strong auditory system in learning. But what happens if this auditory system has deficits? Can a child still learn?    Does my child have Auditory Processing Disorder?    Auditory Processing (APD) is a very common learning disability and affects about 5% of school-age children. Auditory Processing can present itself with many different symptoms and behaviors. Often these behaviors resemble those seen with other learning challenges, like language difficulties, attention problems and autism. Most children with auditory processing difficulties show only a few of the following behaviors. No child will show all of them. However, any child who displays several of these symptoms should be carefully evaluated for auditory processing disorder.    Delayed speech   Persistent articulation errors   Abnormally soft, loud, flat, formal, or “pedantic” speaking voice   Difficulty conducting casual conversations   Difficulty reading or spelling due to problems discriminating word sounds   Difficulty following oral directions   Difficulty organizing behaviors   A tendency to appear quiet, distracted, or off topic during group discussions or to interrupt or blurt out answers   Long delays before responding to questions or instructions   Preferences for nonverbal tasks or a markedly higher performance IQ than verbal IQ   Difficulty taking notes...

APD affects about 5% of children, making it hard for them to differentiate sounds in language, impacting their learning and attention.

Auditory Processing Disorder in Children

As a young child, Ann LeZotte was diagnosed as autistic because she banged her head. Eventually it was discovered that her head-banging was merely a response to the fact that she could not hear. Born prematurely and deaf, Ann also has trouble with lung function.  Starting off life like that seemed like a raw deal; however, Ann’s deck of cards was stacked with having dedicated, smart parents. She was sent to the best of schools. She was “mainstreamed“into regular classrooms. Her father inspired her with the story of Helen Keller. She spent many hours contemplating the paintings known as Christiana’s world by American painter, Andrew Wyeth. She came to know that being born deaf was not a tragedy; it made her special. It added to her other gifts. It gave her a certain élan, a steady dignity and a sense of self that many others lacked. In her early years, Ann’s knife-sharp intelligence was her road-map to negotiate the ups-and-downs of loneliness, bullying and academic pressure. Being the only deaf student in a classroom of other bright kids took some quick-stepping. One year she went from being the “outcast” to being “the number one magic girl” by teaching her growing number of friends to finger-spell under their desks, thereby confounding the teacher and everyone else by their seemingly secret language. Talk about the art of texting! Ann was onto something before smart phones were even a twinkle in Steve Job’s eye.    Today, Ann is forty-one years...

Deaf and bright, Ann LeZotte overcame challenges and became an author, inspiring others with and without disabilities.

Ann LeZotte and Julie Jack, a Deaf Heroine

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Special Needs
Articles

The Transformative Impact of Early Intervention for Children with Hearing Impairments

Understanding Hearing Impairments and Beyond

Auditory Processing Disorder in Children

Ann LeZotte and Julie Jack, a Deaf Heroine

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs Articles

The Transformative Impact of Early Intervention for Children with Hearing Impairments

Understanding Hearing Impairments and Beyond

Auditory Processing Disorder in Children

Ann LeZotte and Julie Jack, a Deaf Heroine

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs
Articles