What’s going on?

It could be that he has a hearing problem or a central auditory processing disorder, so be mindful! “Children’s hearing problems often go undetected because many people think that the child’s problems at school are a result of a lack of concentration or attention”.*

If your child has had a hearing loss since birth, he will not be able to tell you that he can’t hear properly, because he has never heard any differently than he does now. It is therefore important for you, parents or grandparents, to be watchful of his behaviour. The child will therefore avoid many learning problems if his hearing problem is diagnosed quickly.

Just like with the eyes and teeth, it is equally important to follow your child’s development at the hearing level. It is perhaps less natural to do so, nevertheless his development
may very well be adversely affected if his ears do not function properly.

Here are a few hints which may help you identify whether your child suffers from hearing loss:

Possible behaviours of a preschool age child with a hearing problem (between 0 and 5 years old):

• He does not jump up or react to a loud noise;
• He does not babble (under the age of one year);
• He does not turn his head in the direction of sounds (between 3 and 6 months);
• He is late in beginning to talk (should start saying his first words around 12 months).

Possible behaviours of a school age child with a hearing problem (between 5 and 12 years old):

• The child watches television with the volume turned up high;
• The child does not react when his name is called;
• The child has language problems;
• The child has problems at school.

For example, if your child used to always be seated in the front of the class, and is now at the back, this could cause him some problems to understand.

As well, if the teacher has a moustache, your child will not be able to read his lips, even if he doesn’t realize that he always does it. Finally, your child will have difficulty to understand the secrets that his friends tell him, etc.

If your child shows some of these symptoms, it is advisable to see an audiologist to have his hearing evaluated.