Speech and Language Delay Due to Hearing Loss in Children
What is Pediatric Speech and Language Delay Due to Hearing Loss?
Speech and language delay due to hearing loss occurs when a child has difficulty developing speech, language, or communication skills because they are not consistently hearing sounds and spoken language clearly. Hearing plays an important role in how children learn to understand words, imitate speech sounds, build vocabulary, and communicate with others.
Hearing loss can range from mild to profound and may affect one or both ears. It can be permanent, or it can fluctuate—for example, when frequent ear infections or fluid in the middle ear temporarily reduce hearing.
Even mild or intermittent hearing difficulties can affect speech and language development, particularly during the early years when children are rapidly learning communication skills.
Pediatric Speech and Language Loss
Signs & Symptoms
The signs can vary depending on the child’s age, type and degree of hearing loss, and how long the hearing difficulty has been present. Parents and caregivers may notice:
- Delayed first words or difficulty combining words into sentences
- A smaller vocabulary than expected for the child’s age
- Speech that is difficult for others to understand
- Difficulty producing certain speech sounds correctly
- Leaving sounds out of words or substituting one sound for another
- Difficulty following spoken directions
- Frequently asking “What?” or needing information repeated
- Appearing not to respond when their name is called
- Responding better when they can see the speaker’s face
- Turning the television, tablet, or other devices up unusually loud
- Difficulty hearing or understanding conversations when there is background noise
- Trouble distinguishing similar-sounding words or speech sounds
- Difficulty understanding questions or conversations
- Challenges expressing wants, needs, thoughts, or feelings
- Frustration, withdrawal, or behavioral difficulties related to communication challenges
- Difficulty participating in classroom discussions or keeping up with verbal instruction
- Speech or language skills that seem to develop more slowly than those of same-age peers
In babies and toddlers, signs can also include limited babbling, not consistently reacting to sounds, or not turning toward a familiar voice.
How Therapy Smarts Supports Children with Lisping?
At Therapy Smarts, our pediatric speech-language pathologists can evaluate how a child’s hearing difficulties may be affecting their speech, language, and overall communication development. When hearing loss is suspected or already diagnosed, speech therapy can be an important part of helping a child build the communication skills they need at home, at school, and in the community.
Depending on the child’s individual needs, speech therapy may focus on receptive language (understanding what others say), expressive language (using words and sentences), speech sound production, vocabulary development, listening and auditory skills, social communication, and strategies for communicating more successfully in everyday situations.
Therapy may include play-based activities that help children practice listening, identifying and producing speech sounds, learning new words, following directions, answering questions, and expressing increasingly complex ideas.
Speech-language pathologists can also work collaboratively with a child’s audiologist, ENT, pediatrician, teachers, and family when appropriate. Because a speech-language evaluation does not replace a hearing evaluation, children with suspected hearing loss should receive appropriate assessment from a qualified hearing healthcare professional.
Supporting the Whole Child
Hearing-related communication challenges can sometimes affect more than speech. A child may become frustrated when they cannot understand others, have difficulty participating socially, or experience challenges with learning and classroom routines.
Therapy Smarts offers pediatric Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, ABA, Mental Health services, and Psychological Evaluations, allowing families to access multiple services when a child’s needs extend beyond speech and language.
As Therapy Smarts celebrates 10 years of helping children turn challenges into triumphs, our goal is to help each child develop stronger communication skills, greater confidence, and increased independence.
Wondering About Developmental Milestones?
Have questions about your child’s development, or wondering if a certain diagnosis may be a fit? Try out our developmental screening tool— it’s a fast, free way to get a snapshot of your child’s progress on his or her developmental milestones.
Ready to Help Your Child Reach Their Full Potential?
At Therapy Smarts, we don’t believe in a “wait and see” approach. We believe in early, expert intervention that gives your child the tools they need to thrive. Whether you are looking for specialized Cerebral Palsy support or a comprehensive developmental evaluation, our award-winning team in Durham and Chapel Hill is ready to partner with your family.
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