Hearing is essential to a child’s learning ability. Even in the womb, a child can recognize sounds, such as their mother’s heartbeat. From birth, children develop skills and knowledge from speech and environmental sounds. We often take for granted how much we rely on sound in daily life. For children, hearing is a key factor in personal development, and without it, they may face significant challenges.

Children depend on sound more than adults because they are on a steep learning curve. From birth, they must learn how to walk, eat, express emotions, and speak. Later, they develop skills like reading, writing, and social interaction. Learning is much easier when they can hear what is being taught—both directly and indirectly. Poor hearing affects a child’s ability to overhear conversations, limiting their development through incidental learning.

Additionally, children with hearing loss may become tired more quickly due to the extra effort required to make sense of their surroundings. Their interactions with peers can also be affected.

Read more about the importance of hearing for children.

Identifying Hearing Loss in Children

The first step in helping a child with hearing loss is recognizing the signs. Our blog provides the knowledge to help identify hearing loss in children of different ages, as symptoms vary at different stages of development.

Read the first entry now: Signs of hearing loss for infants and toddlers (0-3 years old).

Common Signs of Hearing Loss (All Ages)

If you suspect your child may have hearing loss, consult a hearing care professional. Here are some common signs to watch for:

• Cannot follow sounds or determine their direction
• Does not respond when spoken to
• Fails to understand questions or respond appropriately
• Appears inattentive or distant
• Slow speech development
• Struggles with social interactions
• Acts out in frustration
• Poor academic performance
• Frequently increases the volume on devices

If you suspect your child may have hearing loss, please contact your nearest hearing care professional to schedule a hearing test.