Hearing ability is important for children to develop speech and language skills as they grow. In the past, hearing loss in children often went undetected until the child was around two years old, when it became obvious that he or she wasn’t talking yet. Research has demonstrated that detection and intervention for hearing loss prior to six months of age results in significantly better outcomes than intervention after six months of age.
Good hearing is essential to oral language development, which is essential for learning for children. Even a minimal hearing loss can have an impact on school and social performance.
The behavioral effects of hearing loss often are subtle and resemble effects similar to children who experience attention deficit disorders, learning disabilities, language processing problems, or cognitive delays.

Red flags to identify hearing disorder:
• Has difficulty understanding what people are saying.
• Speaks differently than other children her or his age.
• Doesn’t reply when you call his or her name.
• Responds inappropriately to questions (misunderstands).
• Has problems academically, especially if they weren’t present before.
• Watches others in order to imitate their actions, at home or in school.
• Complains of ear pain, earaches or noises.
• Says “what?” or “huh?” several times a day.
• Watches a speaker’s face very intently – many children’s hearing loss escapes detection because they are very successful lip readers.