The importance of regular hearing tests for children

Why hearing tests are important

Hearing impairment is the most frequent sensory deficit in humans.

For any child, hearing and speech are essential tools for learning, playing and developing social and cognitive skills. The first few years of their life are crucial for developing all these fundamental skills.

Children learn to communicate and interact with the world by imitating sounds they hear. A child with a hearing loss that is left undetected and/or untreated can miss a lot of the speech and language around them. This can result in delayed speech and/or language development, social problems and other difficulties.

Routine hearing tests are essential to avoid a hearing problem going undiagnosed for many months or even years.

An audiologist is the only professional uniquely qualified to test children’s hearing and give advice on further management, if required. Existing technology permits audiologists to do accurate screening and assessments of hearing in children. If you are concerned about your child’s ability to hear, contact an audiologist as soon as possible.

Paarl Hearing Centre offers a professional service in a warm, friendly and inviting environment. They believe in delivering the best possible hearing healthcare service to both children and adults in a dignified and considerate manner. To book your child’s hearing test call them on 021 870 1898 or visit their website for more information.

Hearing tests should be performed on an annual basis to ensure there is no decline in your child’s ability to hear.

Spotting signs of a hearing problem

It is important for you to look out for signs of any problems and seek advice if you have any concerns.

Signs of a possible hearing problem can include:

• The child does not respond when called
• Delays or differences in speech and language development, including not producing all sounds correctly.
• The child may have attention or behavioural difficulties
• The child’s academic performance may be below par and the teacher may express concern regarding the child’s ‘listening’ in class.
• Inappropriate, delayed, or lack of response to soft and moderate-level sounds
• The child says “what?” or “huh?” frequently or often asks for repetition before the child understands
• The child may intently watch the faces of speakers
• The child may have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments
• The child may sit close to the TV set when the volume is adequate for others;or increase the TV or radio volume to very loud levels
• The child may not respond to voices over the telephone or may switch ears continually when talking on the phone
• The child may be unable to locate the source of a sound accurately

Should a problem be picked up speak to your audiologist about optimising the hearing that your child has, to develop his or her speech and language. This could result in your child being fitted with a hearing aid or cochlear implant. However, your audiologist will be best equipped to advise which is better suited to your child. Paarl Hearing Centre will be able to assist.