More and more often, parents have reported that their child’s last hearing “test” was their newborn hearing screening (shortly after birth). Every child should have a formal hearing evaluation between the ages of 24-30 months, or sooner, if hearing difficulties are suspected. If your child’s speech does not sound like the speech of other children his/her age, or if your child does not seem to use enough words, a formal hearing evaluation is the next step. Additionally, if your child has a history of ear infections, allergies, frequent colds, AND your child has not had a formal hearing evaluation since birth, ask your pediatrician to refer him/her for a formal hearing evaluation, or locate an audiologist in your area through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) 800-638-8255. You may also use the ASHA ProFind service on ASHA’s website, http://www.asha.org/.
Healthy Hearing is important to normal speech and language development, communication skills, literacy, and academic success. Problems with hearing and/or hearing loss may cause speech-language delays, difficulty with learning, as well as social issues which in turn impact a child’s self-esteem.
Speech-Language Pathologists will ask when your child’s most recent hearing evaluation was done, prior to performing a speech-language evaluation. It is important to rule out hearing loss and/or address any related hearing issues, prior to having a speech-language evaluation. Contact The Clinic for Speech-Language & Swallowing Disorders for more information (808) 887-0920 or via email: cslsdhi@gmail.com.
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