Do you ever wonder if your child is hearing you correctly? It can be difficult to tease out if your child has trouble understanding what you are saying versus a hearing impairment versus articulation difficulties. However, there are a few things that you can do at home to try to figure out where communication is breaking down between you.
I’ve compiled a short-list, which is not exhaustive, to help you discern whether or not your child is not hearing correctly.
#1: Not Pronouncing Certain Sounds
Before we jump into this, I’d like to gloss over the anatomy of the ear. There are three main components: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.
The spiral-shaped cochlea is housed within the inner ear. It plays a pivotal part in carrying sound waves from the ear to the auditory nerve so that the information can then travel to the brain.
Sound waves travel from the basal region, or the start, to the apex, or the end, of the cochlea. The basal region deciphers high-frequency sounds, while the apex deciphers low-frequency sounds. All sound waves travel through the basal region first. As such, this part experiences regular use, wear, and tear, which is one of the reasons why people lose the ability to hear high-frequency sounds first.
Side-note: Do you remember when teens would download high-pitched ringtones for their phones so that teachers wouldn’t hear their phones ring during class? This is why they were able to do that.
Okay, now that we’ve gone over some anatomy, let’s talk about speech sounds. Some sounds that we say are higher-frequency, while others are lower-frequency. Therefore, someone with a hearing impairment is likely unable to hear the higher frequency sounds.
The picture above depicts something called the “speech banana”, which displays the frequency of the consonant sounds in the English language. When graphed out, it appears as a banana.
This image shows that someone with a mild hearing loss would have difficulty hearing these sounds: “f”, “s”, and voiceless “th” (as in “think”).
If your child is not pronouncing the “f”, “s” and voiceless “th” sounds correctly, then this may be indicative of a hearing loss.
#2: Mishearing Directions
Perhaps your little one tries really hard to follow directions and do what you ask of them. Many kiddos are eager to please and want to try to help their parents any way they can.
Now, don’t get me wrong! There are also tons of little ones out there who would rather be defiant than obedient. Plus, of course, all kids have their moments!
Have you ever noticed that your child is trying really hard to follow directions, but he doing something entirely different than what you asked him to do? Maybe he isn’t doing it on purpose to bother you.
Perhaps he heard you say, “Grab your pencil, it’s under your sheet.”
But you said: “Grab your pencil, it’s under your seat.“
So your child searches for his pencil beneath his sheet of paper and you are confused as to what he is doing, when in fact he thinks he is doing precisely what you asked him to do.
Your child may seem to not follow directions all day long on purpose, which can cause frustration for both parties, when in fact, he is just not hearing you correctly.
#3: Trouble Hearing in Different Environments
Interestingly enough, someone with a hearing impairment may not always present as having one. Varying environments can impact hearing in different manners.
In a quiet environment with zero to minimal auditory distractions, it is typically easy for people to hear, even someone with a hearing impairment. Under this scenario, your child might not appear to have any issues with hearing whatsoever.
As the noise level increases in your child’s surroundings, if he is hearing impaired then his ability to hear speech sounds will decrease. The auditory competition will make it challenging for him to decipher what people are saying to him. He will likely spend a lot of energy trying to understand what people are saying to him and might leave the event feeling exhausted.
Exhaustion after attending loud events could be a subtle clue that your child is suffering from mild hearing loss. In addition, trouble understanding people in loud environments is also a clue that your child might have hearing impairment.
#4: Requesting Loud Volume
When someone is having difficulty hearing, he will oftentimes reach for the remote and turn up the volume on the television. If you notice that your child asks you to turn up the volume on the TV or complains that it is too quiet when it is set at a normal level, then he might have a mild hearing loss.
Requesting the volume to be louder would not only apply to the TV but other instances as well. Your child may tell you that you are speaking quietly and ask you to talk louder. He might listen to music loudly. He may turn up the volume on electronic toys.
In addition to asking for the volume to be turned up, your child might ask you to speak slower or repeat what you are saying frequently. If you notice the behavior frequently, then it could be a sign that your child is suffering from mild hearing loss.
#5: Lip Reading
Last but not least, take note of where your child looks when you talk to him. Does he look at your eyes or further down your face at your mouth?
What about when he talks to other people? Where does he look then?
Children and people who suffer from hearing loss sometimes react by using lip reading as a tool to figure out what their conversational partner is telling them. While this is a smart strategy to use, if your child has not been officially diagnosed with a hearing impairment then this could be a tip-off that he is suffering from one.
You may notice that he uses the strategy in noisy environments when hearing is especially hard for him. Or perhaps he uses this strategy across all environments. Pay close attention when he speaks with other people.
Let’s Water the Sponge!
If you can resonate with several of these items in the list above, then it is possible that your child is suffering from some degree of hearing loss. It would be best to consult with a pediatrician as soon as possible and receive an accurate diagnosis.
Depending on the diagnosis, your child may or may not need an assistant hearing device such as a hearing aid. Furthermore, speech therapy may or may not be recommended.
Stay tuned for tips and tricks to tackle some of these difficulties when it comes to hearing impairment!
Do you have a story, question or comment? Feel free to comment below!
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