A child’s hearing loss affects the entire family

From the moment hearing loss is suspected or diagnosed, your family enters a new world of information and terminology.

A clear, thorough understanding of hearing loss will help provide the base for the decisions and adjustments ahead.

In the following pages you can read about early signs of hearing loss, about school and communication, and about how you, as a parent of a child with hearing loss, can help your child with the practical and emotional issues surrounding hearing loss.

Early identification is important Understanding your child’s hearing loss Human beings have five senses through which we experience our world. A child is born with a mind that is open and ready to receive information through these senses. The more information the mind receives, the better the child can understand and participate in the world around them. The senses are our tools for learning and communicating. Our sense of hearing is critical for speech and language development. It is therefore important that hearing loss is identified as early as possible. Significant delays in speech and language development can be avoided if amplification is provided early. Fun with Dexi Visit our site for children Fun with Dexi is a site especially for children. Here, Dexi the playful little whale leads children on a hunt for sunken treasure, tells them about hearing and about Orca whales, and lets them direct their own adventure movie in Dexi’s film studio.		Acknowledgement can be difficult Parenting a child with a hearing loss The realisation that a child has a hearing loss can be overwhelming to a parent. There is so much information to take in, and so many questions to be asked and decisions to be made. And in addition to all of these practical concerns, there can be many emotional issues. The important role of the support team Support A child’s family is a critical part of the support team which also comprises hearing healthcare professionals and teachers. Did you know… The impressions your child’s family and friends have about hearing impairment can have great influence on your child’s self-image and self-confidence. 3% of all children in the world have hearing impairment. Children hear worse now than ever before. One out of ten children starts school with a hearing loss.