The impact of hearing loss on children’s development:
The initial hearing loss hearing impairment occurs in a child’s life, the more dangerous the effect on the child’s progress if left untreated. Similarly, the earlier the hearing impairment is recognized and invasion has begun, the less serious the ultimate effects in the child’s development will be here is every movement is important.
The initial your child is tested, diagnosed and treated for any hearing impairment, the higher their chances of actualizing their personal best in speech and language skills.
- Many deaf children have difficulties forming and sustaining relationships with hearing rivals
- Deaf children have lower social status (Nunes et al, 2001) and report more loneliness than do hearing children
- In mainstream settings, low speech clarity improve feelings of loneliness
- Many deaf children have difficulties in large social settings. They cannot attend to multiple synchronous communications, especially when there is background noise
- joining an existing group of peers and maintaining play behaviors with them is socially challenging
- Deaf children often have an inadequate concept of how others think and feel
- Children’s ability to communicate well with others affects both the formation of close relationships with others and the development of a positive identity
- Delays in metacognitive processes, such as problem-solving and attention affect play behavior and socialization
- Approximately one baby in every thousand is born with a ‘significant’ bilateral hearing loss (greater than 30 decibels) that requires the fitting of hearing aids. Many babies are now diagnosed through infant hearing screening in hospital. Some points related to the children’s deafness are-
- Children with hearing aids and cochlear implants do not hear speech as clearly as children with normal hearing. Incidental learning through listening does not occur as it does for hearing children
- The first two years of neurolinguistic development are vital. During this time, a child acquires language relatively effortlessly
- The average deaf student graduates from high school with language and academic achievement levels below those of the average fourth-grade (9-year-old) student with normal hearing
What we can do:
- Children’s social skills may be enhanced by targeted interventions, especially in the areas of peer entry and cooperative play
- A play session is rewarding when the child is able to repair communication breakdowns, sometimes with the help of the hearing playmates
- consult with your health specialist who can guide you on the best options for your kid. If you don’t already have someone to speak to, we can help you find a clinic close to you. Once your child is diagnosed with a hearing impairment, he should be fitted with hearing aids as soon as possible. This will give your kid some access to sounds and prepare them for an implant if it’s the right option
- We know you’re making strangely important decisions about your child’s future. That’s why you should have all the information you need to make the right choice for you and your family. Discuss all the options with your child’s audiologist or health professional, who will have the best understanding of their unique hearing needs
