Speech and hearing problems

Communication disorders can affect much more than ears and tongues

Disabilities tend to have effects beyond the immediate. For example, it is not difficult to imagine that a blind child has probably had more than his share of literal bumps and scrapes as a result of his condition. The situation is similar for children with speech and hearing problems.

“These disorders can impact your child’s social development, socialization, success in school and even interactions with loved ones and peers,” says Michelle Nella, Speech Language Pathologist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). “These kids might suffer from low self-esteem and decreased confidence in themselves and their abilities.” 

Communication disorders can be any type of problem that affects the way a child communicates – the way they form words, understand language, hear sounds or produce sounds.

In addition to treating these problems, audiologists and speech language pathologists try to encourage a better understanding of communication disorders to the general public. This serves two functions: it may help identify children with these problems sooner which allows for earlier and better treatment, and it may make life a little easier on those children living with these disorders.  

What parents can do

Parents may wonder about their role in identifying communication disorders in their kids. Although hearing problems can develop later in life, detecting them in newborns is an important first step. “The earlier a problem is identified, and the earlier the treatment is introduced, the more likely the issue can be remediated. Early identification makes a huge difference in your child’s outcome,” says Lora Carinci, Audiologist at SickKids. “The best thing a parent can do is to learn the warning signs of speech and hearing disorders.”

Some of these signs include:

• Infants not reacting to loud noises
• Not understanding his name, "no," and other simple words or commands by age 1 year.
• Not saying words by 14 to 16 months of age.
• Cannot answer basic "wh" questions (what, where, who) at 3 years of age.
• Has difficulty being understood by people outside the family after age 3

Signs in older children:

• Unusual facial, vocal, or breathing behaviours.
• Noticeable hesitations or repetitions in speech past age 5 years
• Listening to the TV loudly or needing things to be repeated.
• Being chronically hoarse without being ill.
• Not being able to tell a simple story by age 5 or more complex story by age 7

Getting tested

All newborn babies in Ontario are screened for hearing at birth. It is a good idea to get your child checked again before starting kindergarten, especially if you notice warning signs. If hearing tests are not provided where you live, you should ask your doctor to check your child’s hearing.

Risks from birth

There are certain groups of kids that may be at higher risk of developing problems with speech and language. These include premature babies, kids with brain injuries or illnesses, cleft lip and/or palate, or autism. For some kids, the problems may be identified as they develop and for others they may happen as a result of accident or illness.

Teens and hearing loss: no accident

“The risk of hearing loss doesn’t end when your child has been deemed to have normal hearing,” says Carinci, pointing out that teens are at a high risk of developing noise induced hearing loss from using iPods, mp3 players and going to loud concerts.

Parents should encourage teens to follow the 60/60 rule. Use devices like iPods at 60% of the total volume for 60 minutes maximum and then give your ears a rest. Any louder or any longer could put teens at risk of hearing loss. There are also free iPhone applications available that allows users to test their own hearing.

Over the long term

Being a parent of a child with a communication disorder can be frustrating, especially during the process of identifying the problem and the steps that need to be taken to fix it. Carinci describes this as “fitting together the pieces of a puzzle. The problem and its root cause are not always clear from the beginning.” Carinci encourages parents to stick with the treatment plan. “Eventually your child will amaze you.”

Treatment plans are different for each child depending on the problem. You can be sure that there will be ongoing visits with a speech language pathologist and/or your audiologist. The goal of all treatment plans is for the child to develop a reliable mode of communication, both expressive and receptive, no matter what the source of their disability is.  

Parents should also keep an eye on the larger issues speech and hearing problems can generate. Being a kid with a communication disorder can be tough. All kids want to fit in with their friends and not be identified as being different but kids with communication disorders may feel singled out amongst their peers. They may even be victims of teasing and bullying. Nella gives this message to kids, “Keep participating in your treatments and be sure to practice at home. The more you practice the more success you will have. Keep your confidence up and join a support group of kids with similar problems. It might help to meet other kids with similar challenges.”

You can be a part of raising awareness by teaching kids with normal communication to be accepting of communication differences in other children. As Carinci points out, “A communication disorder is only one part of who you are. Kids can succeed at anything they put their minds to.”