Sound Advice from Audiology - The Impact of Hearing Loss

 Language

Most language is learned incidentally, or through example. Direct teaching of language is sometimes necessary for children who are deaf or hard of hearing as incidental learning may not be as accessible. For verbal language, consider the child’s ability to access the speech spectrum and different listening environments. For visual language, ensure the child has access to rich examples of language in the environment. Children who are deaf or hard of hearing may require additional support to develop certain skills in spoken English. These include abstract words (before, after, equal to, etc.); understanding words that have more than one meaning; word endings that give information about tense, singular versus plural, etc., and unspoken social "rules" such as turn taking, what to say or not say and when.

The IDEAL (Indiana Deaf Education and Assessments of Language) milestones document is an excellent resource to keep in mind what language skills develop at what ages – in English and American Sign Language as well as Spanish (Español).

Articulation

Often, children who do not have sufficient auditory access to certain speech sounds have difficulty producing those sounds. Children who are deaf or hard of hearing may produce speech sounds incorrectly and/or omit certain speech sounds. Often this leads to difficulty understanding what they are saying. For children using listening and spoken language, the ability to speak so that they are able to be understood by others is necessary to communicate and connect with other people. Audibility is key to natural development of speech sounds. Specialized coaching is needed to highlight these speech sounds and teach the child to recognize and produce them properly. This training can help make their speech easier to understand.

Social-Emotional

Communication is needed to build healthy relationships. Adults must ensure that children who are deaf or hard of hearing can communicate with their family and peers. Understanding social-emotional milestones can help parents and professionals have accurate expectations. Deaf and hard of hearing children benefit from the chance to interact with other adults and children who communicate in the same way. Some children feel alone when they do not see anyone else who knows what it feels like to be deaf or hard of hearing. This can potentially lead to frustration, anger and even acting out. The opportunity to share experiences and learn from one another is helpful.

Cognitive

Missing or misunderstanding what people say can make it hard to learn new information. Children need to be able to learn to improve their reading and thinking skills. Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must have all of the same information as their hearing classmates. They may need extra time or different materials to make sure the information is clear. Sometimes, the cause of a child’s hearing loss may also cause cognitive delays. Some children have hearing loss and cognitive delays that are not related. When a child who is deaf or hard of hearing is being tested, it is important to keep their communication needs and challenges in mind.

Resources:

Central Institute for the Deaf– Considerations for choosing speech targets

Hands and Voices Parent Tip Sheets– Language and Social Development

IDEAL Parent Document– English and Spanish

Success for Kids with Hearing Loss – Impact of Hearing Loss and Speech Perception and Learning