Speech and Hearing

When left unaddressed, a hearing impaired child will fall behind in language retention. A loss of hearing can result in a speech delay in children. When hearing loss is a factor, the child receives less speech information. Certain frequencies or speech sounds may be difficult for the child to hear and understand.

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Children with a hearing loss often cannot hear quiet speech sounds such as “s,” “sh,” “f,” “t,” and “k” and therefore do not include them in their speech. Thus, speech may be difficult to understand. Children with a hearing loss may not hear their own voice when they speak. They may speak too loudly or not loud enough.

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It may be harder to hear and understand speech if sound is muffled by fluid in the middle ear. Some researchers report that frequent hearing loss in children with middle ear fluid may lead to speech and language difficulties.

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But not only language development is dependent on your child's ability to hear. Their listening skills also influence their ability to learn to both read and write and it greatly influences their social skills as well. To develop spoken language, children must be able to hear speech clearly and also to hear themselves.

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Hearing loss in children can lead to: Delayed speech and language skills. Learning problems in school. Feeling bad about himself.