My child does not seem to hear well, could he be deaf?
If you are noticing that your child is showing possible signs that he is not listening well, what else should you be aware of?
Hearing impairment is a common but serious problem that affects children of all ages. About 2% of children suffer from some degree of hearing loss. Without prompt and effective treatment, hearing loss can cause a child to experience significant speech delays, social problems, and educational challenges.
Hearing impairment and deafness generally manifest with specific symptoms and characteristics. Although symptoms vary among children, certain traits and behaviors are characteristically indicative of hearing difficulties.
Index
LANGUAGE DELAYS
Delays in speech and language development are classic symptoms of hearing loss in children. Many children are first diagnosed with a hearing impairment in childhood. Children who do not speak single words before one year or two-word phrases before age 2 can suffer from hearing loss.
A young child with normal hearing can usually name familiar objects, follow simple commands, and recognize the names of family members between 15 and 24 months. Children with hearing problems may not be able to communicate because they cannot understand or imitate spoken language. When diagnosed and addressed early, children with speech delays in early childhood usually catch up with their peers.
COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES
Children with mild to moderate hearing impairment can develop speech and language at approximately the same time as their peers. However, they may still have difficulty communicating and speaking normally. Preschoolers and older children may have language-related symptoms of hearing loss, such as responding inappropriately to questions or experiencing speech difficulties. The child may also have a peculiar voice, intonation, speech pattern, or challenges with pronunciation.
SELECTIVE AUDIENCE
Although it is relatively normal for children to “deactivate” some statements or orders from adults in authority, many children who seem to ignore their parents cannot hear them. Children with hearing loss may hear certain sounds and tones.
Children with hearing impairments often cannot hear their names when called, and their behavior can be mislabeled as inattention or misbehavior . A hearing test or developmental evaluation can help determine the cause or nature of a child’s selective hearing.
BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS
Deaf and hard of hearing children can develop a variety of behavioral symptoms. Many children will turn up the volume on televisions or radios to an inappropriate volume to try to compensate for their sensory challenges. Children who struggle with deafness can also closely observe their peers to emulate behavior and body language, a symptom known as echopraxia.
Children with hearing impairments may appear dizzy or disoriented because the nerves in the ears also control balance. Academic problems and irritability are also common symptoms of hearing loss in children.
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
Some children who appear to have the characteristics of hearing loss may have unrelated disorders. The disorders emotional and behavioral problems can cause delays in speech and social difficulties, which can be confused with hearing problems or sensory processing. Autism also manifests itself with many symptoms similar to hearing loss , including selective hearing, language delays, and abnormal speech patterns. Only a professional evaluation can correctly identify the cause of these symptoms and characteristics and find the appropriate treatment in each case.
If you think that your child may be losing hearing, it will be necessary for you to go to the pediatrician as soon as possible so that they can evaluate him and know what exactly is happening to him.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.