Hearing loss that occurs in children is particularly devastating, making it hard not only on the children as they grow and experience new things in life, but also on the parents, who have to find ways of managing the children’s hearing and ear health, while also catering to the children’s unique needs in school, at home, and in other social environments.
Hearing loss can profoundly impact a child’s development, no matter at what age a child’s hearing loss occurs. It is important for parents to recognize the signs of hearing loss in children and to know how to address the problem if they find their children are having difficulty hearing. In addition, educators and other professionals who work with children need to understand the signs and symptoms of childhood hearing loss, as well as the remedies available to make these children’s lives easier and more enjoyable.
Social Situations
When children suffer from hearing loss, they often suffer in social situations as well. When they cannot hear well, they usually cannot speak well either, and this leads to a profound sense of loneliness and isolation. Other children may not understand why a particular child is having so much difficulty hearing and speaking, so they may reject the child from the group or get just as frustrated as the hearing-impaired child. This can lead to unhappiness and depression, so parents need to be there to help their children get through these tough situations.
Ability to Speak
Children with hearing loss often have trouble speaking. The more severe the hearing loss is, the harder it will be for a child to speak properly. Others may find it hard to understand what a hearing-impaired child is saying.
Children who are hearing-impaired may not be able to pick up on the more quiet letters, such as “t,” “sh,” “s,” and “f.” This can lead to an inability to understand what people are saying, as well as an inability to vocalize these sounds themselves. They also have trouble with words that end in “s” and “ed,” leading to more trouble comprehending and speaking properly.
Children with hearing loss also typically either speak at a volume that is too high or too low, and may even mumble.
Vocabulary and Sentences
Children who are hearing impaired have trouble learning a vast vocabulary, and they will inevitably fall behind unless there are adults available to help them keep up with other children their age. The sentences spoken and understood by children with hearing loss are typically much shorter and simpler than those of children with normal hearing.
Achievement in School
School can be very hard for children who suffer from hearing loss, so parents and other professionals need to really do their part to assist these children through the hard work they will encounter at school.
Typically, you will find that children who are suffering from hearing loss will not perform as well as other children their age, regardless of their ambition and dedication to the tasks assigned to them. The difficulties they encounter while hearing instructions, verbalizing what they want to say, and understanding their peers are contributing factors to how well they perform in academic settings.
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