Why we test…

Hearing loss can contribute to language, speech, or cognitive delays. The critical time for learning language is before the age of 2 –3 years. Factors such as hearing loss or middle ear pathologies, which contribute to communication breakdown, can affect language development and educational progress. As the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) recommends, early intervention is the key.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

-American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Hearing screening programs should be conducted under the supervision of an audiologist holding the ASHA Certification of Clinical Competence (CCC-A).

-Joint Committee on Infant Hearing: “Regardless of prior hearing screening outcomes, all infants who demonstrate delays in speech-language development or present with a risk factor associated with hearing loss, or for whom there is parental concern regarding communication development or hearing, should receive immediate audiologic evaluation. This practice is important for the identification of infants with delayed onset, progressive, or mild forms of hearing loss who may have passed screening in the newborn period.”

FACTS AND STATISTICS:

  • An estimated 35% of pre-school children experience intermittent hearing loss secondary to repeated and untreated episodes of ear infections (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2007).
  • Due to prematurity, genetics, illness or injury, children who pass hearing screening at birth can still be at risk for hearing loss that is progressive or acquired after newborn hearing screening occurs.
  • It is estimated that by school age, approximately 6 to 7 percent per 1,000 children are expected to have a permanent hearing loss in addition to the 3 per 1000 likely diagnosed after birth (Bamford et.al, 2007).
  • Regular hearing screenings, treatment and early intervention can help decrease the secondary effects of both conductive and sensorineural hearing losses.
  • The behavioral effects of hearing loss are often subtle and resemble effects similar to those of children who experience attention deficit disorders, learning disabilities, language processing problems or cognitive delays.
  • Even mild alterations of auditory input during infancy may result in significant developmental speech delays, lending support for early identification of minimal degrees of hearing loss.