Why is my child’s hearing important?
If your child is unable to hear it can affect their speech and their ability to understand, which can then impact upon their achievements and progress at school.
There are many factors which can affect your child’s hearing. Many hearing problems are identified early, but sometimes it can be later in a child’s development that a hearing problem is diagnosed.
It's important that any hearing problem is identified as early as possible to achieve the best outcome for your child.
If you notice that your child is:
- Not making progress with their speech development
- Not speaking clearly and you find it difficult to understand what they're saying
- Talking loudly and shouting
- Having difficulty locating sounds
- Not responding to you when you talk to them
- Having behaviour problems
- Turning the TV up or sitting close to the TV to be able to hear it
- Suffering from recurrent ear infections
The above symptoms may suggest that your child is not hearing well. If you're concerned about your child’s hearing it's important to speak to your health visitor or GP, who may suggest that your child is referred for a hearing test.
Your child will no longer have their hearing tested when they start school. You know your child better than anyone else, so always trust your instincts and ask for advice if you're worried.
There are things that you can do to help protect your child’s hearing, these include:
- Not allowing your child to put anything in their ears as this can cause damage
- Not exposing your child to smokey atmospheres as this can cause recurrent ear infections
- Not exposing your child to prolonged periods of loud noises as this can damage your child’s ears lead to hearing loss. Consider using ear defenders.