Important information for parents

Hearing is an important part of a child's development

The brains of young children are constantly learning about the world around them. Sound is one of the most important sources of information for your child during crucial stages of their development.

Hearing is critical to speech and language development
Hearing enables us to have conversations, to express needs and wants, to connect with others – to discover the power of communication. In this way, it is a foundation for the early connection between a newborn and their parents.

Babies start to develop language from the moment they’re born. Long before they learn to talk, they are constantly listening. Their brains learn to recognise and understand sound. They learn their mother's voice and what specific sounds in the environment mean.

Early detection of hearing loss is important
If a child has hearing loss, the risk increases that there will be delays in their speech and language. The earlier the hearing loss is detected and treated, the better their potential for language development. With today’s technology, children can be fitted with hearing aids shortly after birth.

What happens when a child has hearing loss?

• Environmental and speech sounds are reduced
• Only some parts of the sounds of speech get through to their brain
• Their brain has to work harder
• Speech sounds may be distorted
• Noise creates a barrier to communication
• Many soft sounds may not be accessible, such as footsteps, distant voices, and sounds of nature
• It takes more effort to follow what is being said

Increase the ‘listening bubble’
Hearing includes the abilities to discriminate between loudness and pitch. It also includes the ability to hear sounds at a distance. When you are listening to someone who is not close to you or in another room, you are using your distance hearing. This distance or range of hearing can be described as a listening bubble¹. A child with a hearing loss will have a smaller listening bubble than a child with normal hearing.

Hearing aids will increase the size of the child’s listening bubble. By wearing hearing aids during all waking hours, children are able to optimise their hearing access, which is critical to a child's overall development.

References


1. Karen L. Anderson, PhD, 2002