The Importance of Back to School Hearing Assessments

It’s back to school time! That means more than new sneakers and stationary, it means its time to have your child’s hearing tested with our Doctors of Audiology!

As you know, hearing loss and auditory processing problems are not uncommon in children and these issues can greatly affect a child’s ability to learn and participate in classroom activities.

Reports that undiagnosed hearing loss can lead to a longer learning curve, speech and language delays, and even behavioral problems due to the child not hearing or understanding instructions.

Children are also susceptible to chronic ear infections which can potentially lead to hearing loss. If your child suffers from frequent ear infections, it is important to monitor his or her hearing thresholds.

Before the school year begins, it may be a good idea to:

1. Schedule a full diagnostic hearing test before the school year starts
2. Monitor your child’s learning progress and look for signs of hearing loss. Not sure what to look for? Does your child turn up the volume of the TV excessively high? Respond inappropriately to questions you ask? Not reply when you call him/her? Watch others to copy what they are doing? Have articulation problems or speech/language delays? Have problems academically? Complain of earaches, ear pain or head noises? Have difficulty understanding what people are saying? Seem to speak differently from other children his or her age?
3. If your child wears a hearing instrument or has any special hearing needs, notify the child’s teacher before school starts. Provide the teacher with extra batteries for hearing devices if needed an outline any special needs the child may have to ensure they are able to participate in classroom activities.
4. Remember to check volume limits on toys, video games, iPads and computers. Even an hour a day of volume over 80dB can cause permanent damage to your child’s little ears and noise induced hearing loss is on the rise.

By Scheduling a hearing test prior to the start of classes, parents can avoid potential learning setbacks. As always, we’re here to help. If you would like to book a hearing test for your child, please call our Doctors of Audiology today at (519) 961-9285.