Parents and guardians are vital in the diagnosis and management of hearing loss in children. Should hearing loss go unnoticed or untreated, the development of a child’s speech and language skills could be adversely affected.
While most hearing difficulties can be identified at the newborn stage, some children may only begin to show symptoms later on when speech and language issues occur. Some of these issues can include learning new words, understanding speech, trouble paying attention, reading difficulties, the inability to control ones behaviour, using correct grammar and even making friends and interacting with others. Should these symptoms arise in your child, book them in for a hearing test to diagnose the degree of hearing loss.
The best way to prevent hearing loss in your child is to limit their exposure to excessive noise. Keep the TV volume at a reasonable level, ensure they wear hearing protection when in noisy environments such as concerts or events with fireworks and educate your kids early on about hazardous sounds.
