Hearing difficulties can affect development of all or just some areas of speech and language, depending on the type and severity of the deafness.
Hearing impairment can vary from mild through to profound. The National Deaf Children’s society explains the difference between the two main types of deafness as:
Sensori-neural deafness, or nerve deafness as it is sometimes called, is a hearing loss in the inner ear.
Conductive deafness means that sound cannot pass through the outer and middle ear into the inner ear. This is often caused by blockages such as wax in the outer ear or fluid in the middle ear (glue ear).
Many children with conductive deafness are unable to hear certain speech sounds clearly, which in turn, affects their ability to say the words clearly. They may also have problems listening and concentrating, so their general language development may be delayed as well.
If you have concerns about your child’s hearing ask your health visitor or GP to refer them for a hearing test.
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