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Your child's ability to talk depends on being able to hear well. Hearing plays an important role in social and emotional development. It can also affect a child's ability to learn. Parents are often in the best position to observe whether a child's hearing and speech are developing well.
Some conditions are likely to cause a hearing problem that comes and goes:
Causes of permanent hearing loss can be:
Does your child
If you answered "yes" to some of these, your child's hearing should be checked
Observe
You are probably the best judge of your child's behaviour. A mild hearing loss
may cause a child to appear distracted or withdrawn. Some problems may cause
hearing to change from day to day.
Promote Healthy Habits
Teach your family proper handwashing and cleanliness habits, to help stop the
spread of germs that can cause illness. Keep your child away from loud noise,
cigarette smoke and other harmful substances.
See your doctor right away if your child has:
If your child is school age:
Notify the school staff of your concerns.
Have your child's hearing tested if you are concerned.
Your school-aged child may be able to have a quick hearing screening test at school. Contact the school for more information. Younger children should have a full test by an audiologist. An audiologist is a person who has special training in hearing testing. No child is too young to be tested.
Most hearing losses in young children are temporary or medically treatable. A test by an audiologist will determine if this is the case. If your child's hearing loss is temporary, you can do some things to help with listening, until the hearing improves.
Help is available for hearing problems that are permanent. Talk to your audiologist or doctor.
| Newborn to 3 months |
| Startles to sudden, loud sounds |
| Appears to listen to speech |
| 3-6 months |
| Looks toward interesting sounds |
| Responds to changes in your tone of voice |
| 6-12 months |
| Turns head toward soft sounds |
| Begins to understand a few words |
| Toddlers 1-3 Years |
| Hears your call from another room |
| Understands short sentences |
| Preschoolers 3-5 Years |
| Hears & understands most of what is said |
| Listens to stories and can answer questions |
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