It is never too early to test your child’s hearing if you think that there is a problem. Between one and six out of 1,000 newborns are born deaf and one in 10 children will develop a hearing problem sometime during childhood.
There are numerous causes of hearing loss in infancy, for example, a family history of hearing problems, low birth weight or ear infections.
By identifying hearing-impaired children at a very young age, health professionals can help families more quickly to ensure their children can communicate well with other people.
The critical period for learning language is before a child’s second birthday.
To learn a language children need to hear properly, so parents should be concerned if their child's language development is late.
Normal reactions of children at different ages:
At four months, your child should:
- move or react when someone speaks or when there is any kind of noise
- react when there is a very loud noise
Suggestions to help in your child’s development:
- talk to your child, sing, call him by name
- give your child toys that make sounds
- entertain your child by making different sounds with your mouth and imitating the sounds he makes
At seven months, your child should:
- turn his head when there’s a noise or when you call even if he can’t see you
- stir or move when he hears a noise or someone’s voice
Suggestions to help in your child’s development:
- talk, sing and play with him
At nine months, your child should:
- turn his head to find out where a sound is coming from
- turn around if you are calling from behind
- stir or move when he hears a sound or someone’s voice
Suggestions to help in your child’s development:
- praise your child often
- whisper words your child knows in his ear to get a reaction
- repeat the sounds your child makes so that he will imitate them back to you
- talk to your child about his toys and things around the house
- draw his attention to the different sounds in the house
- read books together
At 12 months, your child should:
- turn his head in all directions and show an interest in a person’s voice or a particular sound
- repeat the sounds that you make
Suggestions to help in your child’s development:
- show your child parts of the body, and point to them with your finger
- show him books with colour pictures and show him how to turn the pages
- play with your child and ask him questions
At two years old, your child should:
- be able to point to a part of his body when you ask, without seeing your face
- be able to point to the right picture when you ask
- be able to do something simple like giving you one of his toys when you ask, without seeing your face
Suggestions to help in your child’s development:
- read books with your child, ask questions, and have him point to pictures
- ask him to do small tasks like putting a toy on the table
- talk to your child about everything around you and everything he can see
(Source: The Canadian Hearing Society)