Signs of Hearing Loss in School-Aged Children

Hearing loss in school-aged children is typically characterised by the children losing the ability to hear sounds below certain volumes, but hearing loss can go beyond that. As a caregiver, you may be concerned with your child’s hearing ability. There are several signs of childhood hearing loss, but many also overlap with other conditions. Speak with your primary care physician and Audiologist to best determine the cause of your child’s lack of hearing. Now, here are some signs of hearing loss in school-aged children.

Possible Signs of Hearing Loss in a School-Aged Child

Signs of hearing loss can present at any age and at any time. Ideally, you can track your child’s symptoms and when they started with an Audiologist. Signs of hearing loss in a school-aged child may include:

• Behavioural issues or social challenges
• Difficulty comprehending instructions
• Trouble keeping up in school, including slipping grades
• Your child has to look directly at you (or your mouth) to understand what you are saying
• Lacking verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Your child is easily upset or has trouble maintaining effective communication
• Increased tiredness, especially after a day of school
• Inability to pinpoint where a noise originates from
• Your child does not respond to loud noises or does not startle
• Inability to create correct speech sounds or patterns
• Your child may continue to turn up the TV or other devices
• Your child may respond with “What?” or “Huh?” causing you to repeat yourself multiple times
• Your child may begin to speak louder unaware of the change in their spoken volume
• Your child may turn and point their ear towards you instead of looking at you when you speak

Keep in mind that possible hearing loss may be challenging to identify in some school-aged children with underdeveloped speech abilities or other neurological disabilities such as Autism. A complete medical evaluation is often needed, along with hearing testing, to rule out other medical possibilities.

Childhood Hearing Loss

Depending on its severity, Audiologists can categorise hearing loss as mild, moderate, severe, or profound. Each category will provide different solutions for your child’s specific needs. Solutions may include surgery, hearing aids, medication, and cochlear implants.

If you feel that your child is experiencing any of the symptoms above, there could be a chance that they have developed hearing loss. Seek help from an Audiologist like us at Pindrop Hearing, for more information about getting your child seen for a hearing assessment.

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