Will my child's development be delayed by a hearing problem?

Hearing is essential to your child's brain development. Hearing stimulates the brain, grows neural networks, and lays the foundation for reading and writing.

Without early diagnosis and intervention, hearing loss can affect speech and language development in children, as well as impact literacy and social and cognitive skills. The earlier hearing loss is identified and treated, the less it will affect your child's development.

Hearing technology such as hearing aids and cochlear implants can help even children who are profoundly deaf hear all the sounds of speech clearly and develop typical speech and language. Early intervention with a focus on Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) provides families with the strategies and techniques to teach their child how to listen, talk, and read.

The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH)Opens a new window recommends the following 1-3-6 guidelinesOpens a new window to prevent developmental delays in children with hearing loss:

• 1: A hearing screening by 1 month of age

• 3: Hearing evaluation and diagnosis of hearing loss by 3 months of age

• 6: Enrollment into early intervention services by 6 months of age

If your child has permanent (or sensorineural) hearing loss, that means the problem is in the inner ear or cochlea – the part of the ear that receives, organizes, and transfers sound through nerves to the brain.

This type of hearing loss can't be corrected with surgery, but listening and talking are still possible with hearing devices, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants, and early intervention.

How to help a child with hearing loss

Once your child has been fit with hearing devices, encourage them to wear the devices whenever they're awake, so they don't miss a moment of listening and stay on track to meet developmental milestones.

The phrase "eyes open, ears on" is a helpful way to remember that if your child is awake, their hearing devices need to be on.

Learn more about the path to listening and talking for children who are deaf or hard of hearing with the Find Your Way Guide from Hearing FirstOpens a new window.

If your child has a temporary conductive hearing loss (which often occurs with middle ear infections), they won't need hearing technology, but it's still important to resolve the infection as quickly as possible so their development isn't delayed.

If fluid builds up in your child's ear, your healthcare provider may recommend surgically placing small tubes to help drain the ear. The tubes also help prevent fluid from building up again. They generally stay in the eardrum for six months to a year and usually fall out on their own – no second surgery necessary.

If your child is diagnosed with a significant hearing loss and can't hear others talking even with hearing aids, they may benefit from a specialized education program that teaches sign language, cued speech, or lip reading.

If your child's hearing loss affects their education, they have the right in the United States to have an individual education plan (IEP) or a 504 plan. These plans are designed to provide services at school, such as speech therapy, an FM system (a device that amplifies a speaker's voice), and help from teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, educational audiologists, and interpreters.