Do You Hear What I Hear?

Young children use all their senses—especially hearing—to explore their world. Temporary or permanent hearing loss may be present at birth or may follow frequent ear infections, injuries, or illness. Hearing loss can slow language development and lead to other learning problems. In Illinois, the law requires all hospitals to test hearing in newborns. All preschools and licensed childcare centers are required to screen the hearing of children 3 years old or older every year. Parents and teachers also play an important role in identifying children who may need further screening by looking for signs that a child might not be hearing sounds in their environment.

What are the signs of normal hearing development?

By 3 months, an infant responds to a parent’s voice by calming down or smiling.
A 6-month-old turns toward a sound they can’t see and babbles repeated sounds like “baba”.
By 12 months, a baby begins to copy sounds and may say a few words, such as “mama” or “bye”.
Around 2 years, a toddler understands action words, such as “run” follows simple spoken directions like “get the book and come here”; and uses two- to three-word sentences like “want milk please”.

Ask your health care provider for a hearing checklist or a referral to a hearing specialist.

What are some common signs of hearing loss?

A child with hearing loss may seem inattentive or easily frustrated.
They may misunderstand words or seem to hear some sounds but not others.
They may not be interested in music but very interested in screentime.
They may be difficult to understand and have their own invented language.

What should I do if I suspect a child has hearing loss?

Ask your child’s health care provider if screening by a trained professional might be needed, contact your local early intervention CFC to request a free evaluation, or ask to speak to your local school district’s hearing consultant.

How important is intervention?

Early intervention can make a lifelong difference. Research shows that children born with hearing loss sometimes can begin school with normal language and learning skills if appropriate care is begun by 6 months of age. Intervention can include finding the underlying cause and providing training, exercises, listening devices, or maybe surgery. Treat any hearing loss quickly to avoid hearing-related learning and social problems.

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