GUIDANCE FOR PARENTS
Good hearing for a good start in life.
Two out of every thousand children are born with hearing loss. Hearing loss in children may be caused by infections or accidents. To treat it properly, the nature and severity of the hearing loss must be professionally diagnosed. While some forms of hearing loss may be treated medically or surgically, others require amplification and therapy.
Wearing hearing aids will not isolate your child, but untreated hearing loss will.
The earlier hearing loss is diagnosed and treated with an appropriate hearing aid for children, the better for a child’s linguistic and social skills development. If you have any doubts about your child’s hearing, have him or her tested as soon as possible. Finding a solution quickly increases the likelihood of children with hearing aids adapting to them quickly, and helps prevent emotional and social difficulties related to hearing loss.
The links below include a list of suggested questions to ask your child’s hearing care professional that will help you find the best solution for your child, and helpful tips on how to encourage your child. For school-age children, there is an important section on how children develop, the effects of hearing loss on education, and a guide for teachers.