Early Diagnosis of Hearing Loss Why Now and What S Next?

Earlydiagnosisofhearingloss–why nowandwhat’snext?

Earlydiagnosisofhearinglossisimportant.Currentresearchhasshownthatbabieswhoarediagnosedearlyandwhostartwearinghearingaidsandattendingearlyinterventionservicesbysixmonthsofagemaydeveloplanguageandcommunicationthatissimilartochildrenwithnormalhearingbythetimetheystartschool.Themain

goalofearlyidentificationofhearinglossistogiveyourbabyaccesstocommunication.Theadvantageofbeingtestedsoearlyisthatyourbabycangethearingaids,startlistening assoonaspossibleandlearntomake

themostofhearing,oryourfamilycanbeginlearningandusingAUSLAN(signlanguage)withyourbaby.

Whatdoesadiagnosisofhearinglossmean?

Mostbabieswithahearinglossarebornintofamilieswithnoexperience orhistoryofit.Therearemanypossiblereasonsforababyhavingahearingloss.Sensorineuralhearingloss(sometimescallednervedeafness)

hasarangeofcausesincludinggeneticfactors,complicationsatbirth,prematurebirth,infectionssuchasrubelladuringthemother’spregnancyandchildhoodillnessessuchasmumps,measlesormeningitis.

Itisnotalwayspossibletodiscoverthecauseofhearingloss.Ifyouwouldlikefurtherinformationaboutcausesofhearinglossaskyouraudiologist,pediatricianorearnoseandthroatspecialist.1

WhatdifferencecanImakewhenIknowmychildhasahearingloss?

Theearlieryouknowaboutyourbaby’shearingloss,thesooneryoucanstartmakingadifference.Youcanmakeadifferenceby:

•communicating and playing withyourbaby.Communicateandplaywithyourbabyasyouwouldifherorhishearingwasnormal.Remember,yourbabyisabletorespondin

manywaystoyoursounds,eyecontact,facialexpressionsandtouch.Cuddling,comforting,rocking,smilingandsingingareallformsofcommunication.

•tryingtokeepyourbabynearby whenyoucan.Yourvoicewillbelouderanditwillbeeasierforyourbabytohearaswellasseeyou.Evenifyourbabycan’thearyou,beingabletoseeyouwillbeimportantforyourbaby’sfeelingsofsecurity.2Ababyslingcanbeagreatwaytokeepyourbabycloseandinvolved,allowinghimorhertoseeyourfaceandseewhat’sgoingon.

•takingyourbabytoallappointments.

Thiswillhelptheprofessionalsyouareseeingmonitoryourbaby’sdevelopment.

•communicatingwithyourbabythrough sign language,shouldyousochoose.

•gettinginformation.Getasmuchinformationasyoucanfrommanydifferentsources.Whenyougetunbiasedinformationandsupportyouaremorelikelytomakegooddecisionsforyourbabyandyourfamily:

–Askquestionsandmakesureyouunderstandtheanswers.

–Takethetimeyouneedtomakedecisions.Youdon’tneedtorush,althoughofcourseit’snotagoodideatotakemonths.

–Speakupaboutyourconcernsandworries.3

•talkingtootherparentsofchildrenwithhearinglosses.Youcanlearnalotfromtheirexperiences.

Rememberthatyouarenotonyourown.Avarietyofservicesareavailabletohelpyouandyourbaby,including:

•earlychildhoodinterventionservices

•playgroups

•homevisitingservices

•parentsupportstaff

•speechpathologists

•parentgroups

•maternalandchildhealthcentres

•audiologists.

What’snext?

Anaudiologist(fromAustralianHearing)willarrangeanumberofappointmentsforyouandyourbaby.Yourbabymaybefittedwithahearingaid.Youwillalsoneedtoseean

ear,noseandthroat(ENT)doctororpaediatrician.

Youwillalsoreceiveinformationaboutarangeofearlyinterventionsupportsandservicesthatcanhelpyougettheinformationyouneedanddevelopaplanofactionforthenextfewmonths.Theroleofearlyinterventionservicesistosupportyou,yourbabyandtherestofthefamily.Staffwilltrytoansweryourquestions,discusscommunicationandofferpracticalsupport.They

willalsobeabletotellyouaboutotherservicesinyourlocalarea.Itisimportanttorememberthatyouhaveachoiceinselectingtheservicewithwhichyoufeelmostcomfortable.

Itmayalsohelptotalktomembersofyourownfamily,medicalorhearingprofessionals,otherparentsandadvocacygroupsforchildrenwithhearinglossoranexperiencedcounsellor.

1TheNationalDeafChildren’sSociety,2002,

Yourbabyhasahearingloss,London.

2AustralianHearing,2005,Choices,Chatswood,NSW.

3Aussiedeafkids,Buildingblocks:Aparentguideforfamilieswhosebabyhasbeendiagnosed with ahearingloss().

AuthorisedbytheDepartmentofEducationandEarlyChildhoodDevelopment