Hearing Loss and Development

Delay in the development of receptive and expressive communication skills

Language deficit causes learning problems resulting in reduced academic achievement

Communication difficulties may lead to social isolation and poor self-image

May impact vocational choices

Vocabulary may be slower to develop

Children with hearing loss learn concrete words (cat, jump) easier than abstract words (before, after).

Function words (the, are) are difficult for children with hearing loss to learn

Difficulty understanding multiple meaning words (trunk, park)

Children with hearing loss comprehend and produce shorter and more simple sentences

Often difficulty understanding and writing complex sentences is difficult for children with hearing loss

Children with hearing loss often have difficulty hearing quite speech sounds (“s”, “sh”, “f”, “t”, and “k”)

Children with hearing loss may not hear their own voices when they speak making it difficult to judge loudness or pitch

Children with hearing loss have difficulty in all areas of academic achievement but have exceptional difficulty with reading and mathematics.

Children with a mild to moderate hearing loss typically achieve one to four grade levels below their peers with normal hearing without the proper hearing management program

Reports of feeling isolated, without friends, and unhappy in school are typical of students with a severe to profound hearing loss