Hearing Loss
Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership
What is Hearing Loss?
Children can have different types of hearing loss affecting one or both of the ears, including:
Sensorineural hearing loss: This usually means that the cochlea in the inner ear is not working effectively causing permanent hearing loss. Around 1 in 1000 children born in the UK are born with a significant, permanent hearing loss. A further 1 in 1000 children are later identified as having a significant, permanent hearing loss before the age of 9.
Conductive hearing loss: This means that sound cannot pass well through the outer and middle ear into the inner ear. It is often caused by blockages such as wax in the outer ear, or fluid in the middle ear (‘glue ear’). Around 80% of children will have at least 1 episode of glue ear by the time they reach 4 years old which may result in temporary hearing loss.
It’s possible for children to have a combination of sensorineural and conductive deafness (mixed deafness). For example, a child may have glue ear as well as sensorineural deafness.
For further information on the causes of deafness, please follow this link: https://www.ndcs.org.uk/information-and-support/childhood-deafness/causes-of-deafness/
Who Do We Work With?
Speech and Language Therapists can help children who have a hearing loss that affects their ability to hear spoken language clearly. There are a number of different ways a Speech and Language Therapist might help a child with hearing loss depending on their age, the level and type of their hearing loss, and hearing technology used.
Aberdeen City Speech and Language Therapy Service has a specialist Hearing Support team for children with moderate-severe, permanent hearing loss in both ears where hearing loss is the main barrier to learning. Children with other types of hearing loss are supported by Speech and Language Therapists in the team relevant to their needs.
You’ll find advice on this page on what to look out for, and how to help your child’s speech and language development if you are concerned about their hearing.
When Should I be Worried About Hearing?
Half of all children who are diagnosed with permanent hearing loss are identified as a result of the Universal Neonatal Hearing Screen (UNHS). However, some children develop hearing loss following an illness, infection or trauma, and some children have a progressive hearing loss which worsens over time. It can be easy to miss signs of hearing loss, especially in children whose loss is mild, progressive or if they have repeated episodes of temporary loss.
Your child may have a problem with hearing if they display any of the signs below:
Infants and Toddlers
o Is not startled by loud noises.
o Does not detect where sound is coming from e.g. turn towards the doorbell ringing.
o Notices you when they see you, but not when you call their name.
o Has stopped babbling and experimenting with making sounds/ is delayed in meeting their speech and language milestones.
o Has red ears or pulls at their ears as if irritated by them.
School-aged Children
o Does not follow instructions or respond to questions appropriately.
o Asks you to repeat things often or to turn up the TV/ car radio louder.
o May not respond to you calling their name.
o May speak louder or more quietly than normal. They may mishear and mispronounce words meaning their speech can be tricky to understand.
o Uses a lot of effort to focus on listening so they might tire easily. They may present with frustration if they have not been understood which may also affect their behaviour.
o May find it particularly hard to listen in a noisy environment. For example, in the classroom, or in the park where there is lots of background noise from other children and traffic. Sometimes children prefer to play on their own as this is easier than trying to join in with other children.
I'm Worried! What Next?
If you’re concerned about your child’s hearing, talk to your GP or Health Visitor about your child seeing an Audiologist. The audiologist will carry out a hearing test to confirm whether your child has a hearing loss, and what the options are for managing it.
It is important to seek support from a Speech and Language Therapist as early as possible so appropriate support can be put in place. If you have concerns about your child’s speech, language or communication skills, please call our helpline or request assistance from the Paediatric Speech & Language Therapy service by making a referral.
How Can Speech and Language Therapy Help?
Your Speech and Language Therapist will spend time getting to know you and your child to understand your individual needs. They will gather information on your child’s development, hearing loss, listening, interaction & communication skills and what you hope to achieve from speech and language therapy support. Therapy goals will then be agreed jointly with you and other key partners in your child’s life e.g. education staff.
The type of ongoing input offered will vary depending on your child’s individual needs and your wishes. It may include providing support and coaching to you and school staff on your child’s hearing loss and communication skills. Direct therapy may also be offered with your child in a 1:1 or group setting to work on specific speech and language targets and/or continued monitoring of your child’s progress over time.
How Can I Help?
o Keep background noise to a minimum e.g. turn off the TV or close the window when you are interacting with each other in play or a conversation. Any background noise makes it harder for your child to focus on what has been said.
o Sit face to face with your child where they can easily see you. This helps your child to get lots of clues about what you are saying from the way your lips move and where you are looking.
o Get your child’s attention before speaking to them e.g. by calling their name. If they don’t respond to you, try waving or tapping their shoulder lightly to get their attention. Ensure you are standing in front of the child where they can see you.
o Don’t rush. Give your child plenty of time to listen and understand what you have said before they respond.
o When in a group of people, try to speak one at a time so that the child can focus on the person talking and aim to keep the topic of conversation clear for the child to follow.
o Add a gesture or visual to support your child to understand. If they are finding it hard to listen and understand, use your hands, draw a picture or get an item to help show them what you are talking about.
o Model correct sound use for your child. If your child says something in the wrong way, repeat it back the right way instead of asking them to repeat. If your child says ‘a melly dock’ (smelly sock) for example, you can say ‘wow that is a smelly sock!
Trusted Websites and Resources
The National Deaf Children’s Society has a wealth of information and advice for both parents and professionals: https://www.ndcs.org.uk/
The University of Sheffield have produced a five part video series on how babies and toddlers with hearing loss develop their communication skills and how to support them at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-89poSlS6rY
