Hearing impairment, especially if it occurs during the early stages of life can have a negative impact on language development. The earlier it occurs, the worse the effects. It may delay the development of a child’s communication skills. Children with hearing impairment find it difficult to express themselves.
Communication challenges may result in low self-esteem and poor academic performance. The easiest way for children to develop language skills is by listening. If they are not able to hear properly, it is difficult for them to learn. Hearing impairment may mean that a child does not hear consistently. Detecting a hearing problem early makes it possible to treat it and allow a child to develop language skills.
In adults, it may affect career choices. The following are some of the ways that hearing impairment may affect language development.
Formation of Sentences
Children with hearing impairment form and understand simple sentences. They may find it difficult to understand complex sentence structures. They are likely to misuse or misunderstand pluralization, use of tenses, and passive voices. They may not hear or use word endings like –ed and –ing.
Words
Hearing impairment makes it difficult to learn words. People with normal hearing can learn words fast because they hear them clearly. Simple words like cat, dog, and ten may be easy to learn but more complex words take a while. They may also find it difficult to learn the meanings of different words. It is especially difficult with words which have more than one meaning. If they do not get help, children with hearing impairment may never catch up.
Social Skills
Children and adults with hearing impairment may take a while to process and understand what other people are saying. They may not be able to express themselves. Inability to communicate may cause unhappiness, loneliness, and lack of self-confidence.
Speech
People with a hearing impairment may not be able to speak clearly. They have trouble with pronunciation and pitch. Since they do not hear themselves when they speak, their tone may be too high or too low. They may not use quiet sounds because they do not hear them when other people speak. Quiet sounds includes, sh, and k.
Methods of Communication
Once a hearing impairment has been detected, it is important to come up with a method of communication to enhance a relationship with the affected child. The choice of communication method depends on issues such as the extent of hearing impairment, age, the amount of residual hearing, child’s learning style and intelligence, the effectiveness of the amplification devices of the child, and family choices. Get professional help to help you make the right choice.
Hear4U is an independent hearing care that may offer you help in Leicester, Hinckley, Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Rothwell, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire. Hear4U services include; endoscopic ear wax removal, hear care services, and tinnitus counselling.
