Audiology Questions
What are the first signs that parents should look for when they are suspicious of a hearing loss?
Unless a family has reason to expect the possibility of a hearing loss, some of the early signs may be missed. Sometimes, hoping that suspicions are not true, parents wait before having their baby's hearing checked. However, it's important to test the child's hearing as soon as you suspect that there may be a problem. If there is a hearing loss, it can be assessed and when appropriate, the baby can be fitted with hearing aids. You should be concerned if you notice that:
 Your infant does not startle to loud or sudden noises, or turn toward sound.
By 8 months, the baby is not cooing, babbling, or laughing.
By 12 months, the child is not trying to imitate sounds and actions in turn-taking games or is not understanding simple commands.
What are the effects of newborn screening? Is this a diagnosis? If a baby passes the screening, is everything okay? If they fail, are they deaf or hard of hearing?
The screening is a simple test done by an audiologist which takes only a few minutes to perform. It is not a comprehensive testing of hearing. Its purpose is to identify babies that need further testing to determine the presence of a hearing loss. If a baby does not pass the screening test, more thorough hearing testing is normally done before a diagnosis is made. It is important for parents to realize that in screening, there can be "false positives." Screenings are not comprehensive. A baby may fail the screening, but follow-up testing can indicate no hearing loss. On the other hand, a baby may pass the screening, yet in time, a hearing loss may be identified.
How often should a child have his or her hearing tested?
Initially, when a hearing loss is suspected, it is recommended that a child undergo testing using an Auditory Brain Response (ABR) which does not require the child to respond; rather, it measures brain activity. If the ABR reveals a hearing loss, more testing is usually done. During the process of more accurately determining the exact degree of hearing loss, the pediatrician, the otologist, and/or the audiologist may recommend more frequent testing. Children with hearing loss are not easy to test. It will take a series of tests as the child gets older and can cooperate better, to fully determine the type and extent of the hearing loss. Audiologists' opinions differ on how often a young child should be tested. Most recommend that children under three years of age be tested every six months. After that, unless a child has an ear infection or is not responding as is expected, a comprehensive evaluation once a year should be sufficient.
How should you approach your child's first days of wearing hearing aids? What should you do when problems arise?
Be positive, happy, and firm. Your child will take his or her cues from you. At first, placing in your child's ear is going to be strange for you and your child, and you may feel fear or frustration yourself. Do not to share these feelings with your child - focus on the good that will come from the hearing aid.
Children often accept the earmolds willingly after continued use. It helps to make sure that the child is rewarded by experiencing sound as the aid is applied, so be sure to talk with your child as you do it. If a child pulls out the earmold, you need to calmly yet firmly replace it. Start using the hearing aids at a time when you know that your audiologist or therapist will be available to take calls and offer help if you need it.
Many parents find that it helps to keep a diary of the child's reactions to sound, in order to document the benefit the child gets from the hearing aids.
Education Questions
How long will it be before you can expect to see results from intensive educational and speech training? How long until a child begins to talk?
In a good listening therapy setting, progress should be obvious to parents in the first 6 months. Learning to listen with the child's available residual hearing is a slow and steady process. Children develop a great deal of "speech" before they utter their first words. When a child begins to listen and make sense of what he or she is hearing, speech usually follows. As the parent, it's valuable to keep talking, joking, singing and providing other auditory stimulation.
Why is it easier to understand some children who are deaf or hard of hearing and not others?
Usually the speech of children with hearing loss who are making good use of their auditory potential are easier to understand. This is because good listening helps the child hear his or her own speech, as well as helping him or her pick up on the natural rhythm and inflection of normal speech patterns. This is one major reason that early listening and speech interventionis important for a child who is deaf or hard of hearing.
Is a free public education as good as a private oral deaf education?
Studies show that both public and private programs have great numbers of successful graduates who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Public schools vary widely in the resources they offer children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Schools are required by law to have special programs for children with hearing, but they are not required to offer every option. You may or may not want the option offered by your district. Public schools have the option of contracting with private oral schools for educational services through the IEP (individualized education plan) process.
Private oral deaf schools and private therapists working with children with hearing loss offer individualizedprograms designed to meet specific needs.
Placement in either public or private programs for children who are deaf or hard of hearing occurs through the IEP process. If there is a disagreement between the parents and the school district regarding the educational placement of the child, there is a federally mandated due process procedure that follows.
How do you establish the foundation for reading? How do we teach children with hearing loss phrases that are idioms and "plays on words"?
Reading is a challenge for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. It involves vocabulary, language structures, and concepts, which are not easy for them to comprehend in the same way that children with normal hearing do. However, children with hearing loss can become excellent readers. Studies have shown that skills in understanding, speaking, and writing in complex language have a direct relationship with reading success. Do not simplify language and vocabulary when speaking with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing. Use idioms as they occur to you and explain them as you would to any child. You can help a child who is deaf or hard of hearing develop reading and writing skills by making them part of everyday experiences, and have them use trip books and diaries.
What role will parents play in the education of their child who are deaf or hard of hearing?
Parents or guardians must become educated about different communication options in order to make their own informed decision for a child with hearing loss and their family. Once parents decide to choose their preferred option, they can and should expect support from teachers and therapists. If you are a parent of a child with hearing loss, you will quickly become adept in the skills and techniques that work with your child, and become the expert of what's best for him or her. You will become the main advocate for your child. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA '97: PL 105-17) is very clear on the role and rights of parents in the life of their child.
Parents or guardians must become educated about different communication options in order to make their own informed decision for a child with hearing loss and their family. Once parents decide to choose their preferred option, they can and should expect support from teachers and therapists. If you are a parent of a child with hearing loss, you will quickly become adept in the skills and techniques that work with your child, and become the expert of what's best for him or her. You will become the main advocate for your child. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA '97: PL 105-17) is very clear on the role and rights of parents in the life of their child.
For more information on terms and definitions, use the Hearing Health Dictionary |