Information

Information

Impact of hearing impairment

Hearing impairment affects individual children in different ways.

Generally, the main impact of hearing impairment is on a child’s ability to develop language. If a child starts school without adequate language skills, they will quickly lag behind. As time passes, the gap widens and their school results become increasingly affected.

Before too long, they may lose interest in a system that does not meet their needs.

Early detection of hearing impairment, followed by an intensive language development program, is crucial.

In NSW, all newborn babies are now screened for hearing impairment. If an abnormality is detected, one of the places they can come to for further testing is the RIDBC Jim Patrick Audiology Centre.

Before newborn hearing screening was introduced in December 2002, the average age of diagnosis in NSW was 18 months. Even at that stage, crucial time for early learning had already been lost.

RIDBC staff work hard with parents to develop children’s skills in acquiring language, whether through learning to listen and talk (hearing aids or cochlear implants), or through Auslan.