The Impact Of Hearing Loss On Education And Learning

Hearing loss affects people of all ages, but when young children experience hearing loss, there is a thought that it can impact their learning and education, affecting their early development and future success. Parents should look for signs of hearing loss in children before six months old. Although hearing loss can delay learning and development in children, there are effective interventions to improve early development. Hearing treatment, along with hearing devices, implants and external support, can reduce the effects of hearing loss and support education.

Hearing Loss and Children

Communication, cognitive development and behavior in children are influenced by hearing ability. Children who experience mild, moderate or severe hearing loss from a young age can fall behind in education and struggle in their early social environment. Typically, there are three types of hearing loss that affect children, conductive, sensorineural and mixed hearing loss.

Research indicates that early intervention in childhood hearing loss – within the first six months – can enhance social and academic performance significantly. When hearing loss is detected later than six months, there is a higher chance that language and speech development will be delayed. Early diagnosis and intervention are essential for the child’s learning and education.

The Types of Hearing Loss

Three types of hearing loss affect children and adults; these are conductive, sensorineural and mixed hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss is concerned with the outer part of the ear. The outer ear is the visible part of the ear, called the pinna. It has ridges and grooves that collect sound and send it to the ear canal. Conductive hearing loss means the ear canal is blocked.

Sensorineural hearing loss is a common type of age-related hearing loss or noise-induced hearing loss. It refers to hearing loss associated with damage to the cochlea, cilia hairs or auditory nerve. It can be resolved with a hearing device. The final type of hearing loss is mixed hearing loss which results from genetic factors, infections or blockages.

The Impact of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss should always be addressed, especially in younger children and even when it is mild or moderate. In the short term, hearing loss can impact language acquisition and social development; in the long term, there can be issues with higher education and in the workplace.

Impact on Learning

Children with hearing loss, whether it is conductive, sensorineural or mixed hearing loss, are likely to experience difficulties with learning. Reduced hearing impacts the child’s ability to form linguistic categories, such as plurals and tenses, making communication and writing more challenging. Child learning might also be delayed as they can’t distinguish words and sounds.

An inability to recognize and form sounds delays learning and social development in children impacting their future academic performance. Children with hearing issues also have learning issues and will need external support for their education. Again, early intervention is crucial. The sooner a hearing issue can be identified and resolved, the faster a child can learn and develop.

Impact on Education

Hearing loss can have significant and long-lasting impacts on a person’s education. Initially, slower reading and writing development put them behind their classmates. Depending on the extent of the hearing loss, they might need external support or enrollment in a special school. Hearing loss can affect academic and work performance at critical times in a person’s life.

Regardless of the type or severity of the hearing loss, a child with difficulty hearing will struggle with understanding lessons, have a lower vocabulary and struggle with their social environment. Naturally, this impedes their education and development in the short and long term. Children with hearing loss are likely to score lower on academic tests and reach academic expectations.

Solutions to Hearing Loss

If parents have any questions about their child’s hearing, they should have them checked by an audiologist. Early intervention is crucial to the child’s early development and reduces the impact on their education and learning. It helps if the child can be checked before they are six months.

There are a variety of solutions depending on the type of hearing loss a child experiences. Conductive hearing loss might only require some blockage removal, while sensorineural and some forms of mixed hearing loss might require a hearing device.

Supporting a loved one with hearing loss can be a challenging experience, but it’s important to remember that there are resources available to help. One such resource is Desert Hearing Care, a professional audiology practice dedicated to providing compassionate and effective care for individuals with hearing loss. If you or a loved one is struggling with hearing loss, don’t hesitate to reach out to Desert Hearing Care at (480) 374-1846 to schedule a consultation and explore your options for improving your hearing and quality of life.