Hearing problems may be cause of children’s learning struggles

Post on 19th October 2017

It’s a concern for any parent when children struggle with reading and writing and they want to help, but could the problem lie with hearing issues?

Researchers have found that many children in school may have undetected mild hearing loss which affects their ability to learn and to understand how sounds and language translate into words on a page.

A Coventry University study found 25 per cent of participants aged between eight and 10 who had reading difficulties, showed mild or moderate hearing impairment of which their parents and teachers were unaware.

In the study of 196 youngsters, a quarter of dyslexics had undiagnosed hearing problems, while one third of the children who had repeated ear infections had problems with reading and writing.

A mild-moderate hearing loss makes the perception of speech sounds difficult, particularly in a classroom with background noise and other distractions. In the early stages of learning to read, not accessing such information can affect their progress.

If current hearing screening procedures are not picking up these children, it is advisable parents take control and have their children’s hearing tested in more detail and more often, which is free of charge.

It is important to identify hearing problems as early as possible because they can affect children’s speech and language development, social skills and education. Treatment is more effective if there is this early diagnosis.

So, if you have any concerns please call in for help and advice at your local Scrivens branch. The half-term break when the children are at home may provide the ideal opportunity to do so.