Diagnosis
When you are given the news that your child has a hearing loss, the rest of the appointment can be a bit of a blur so you might have forgotten to ask about what comes next. Depending on the extent and type of your child's deafness the exact next steps will differ, but in general the following will apply:
Your audiologist should have explained what your child can hear, and might show you their audiogram. (link to audiogram and banana diagram) If you need them to go back over this, then contact them directly and they will explain it to you in more detail.
With your permission, referrals might then be made to other professionals such as Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), paediatricians, Deaf Education Service / Outreach or Speech and Language Therapy.
At WSDCS, we offer 1:2:1 support to families of newly diagnosed babies and children. Our Family Support Officers can help you navigate this often difficult journey by providing emotional support and guidance. Please get in touch if you would like more information.
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Understanding hearing loss
It is really normal to wonder what might have caused your child's hearing loss. Finding answers can take the professionals a little time and often finding a cause isn't possible. In the meantime, understanding some basics about how the ear works and different types of hearing levels can be a useful startpoint in processing the information.
- Outer Ear: Sound waves travel through the ear canal and make the eardrum move.
- Middle Ear: When the eardrum moves, the ossicles (middle ear bones) vibrate. This vibration creates movement of fluid in the inner ear.
- Inner Ear: The movement of fluid causes the inner ear to send nerve signals to the brain. Once the brain receives the message, it identifies that message as sound.
For more information, check out our page on What is Deafness?
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What are the different types of hearing loss?
- Conductive hearing loss is caused by sound being unable to travel to the inner ear properly. Causes of conductive hearing loss can include wax in the ear canal, fluid in the middle ear (glue ear) or a hole in the eardrum.
- Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by an issue in the inner ear such as damage to the small hairs of the cochlea. Sensorineural hearing loss is typically irreversible, though in some cases hearing aids and cochlear implants can offer access to environmental and speech sounds.
- Mixed hearing loss is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural. An example might be a child with sensorineural hearing loss who also has glue ear which makes their hearing worse.
Still have questions?
Our team are here to support you.
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Audiology services
Learn what audiology services can do for you and your child.