Hearing Impairments- Definitions, etiology, and prevalence

Children with Exceptionalities in Canadian Classroom Definition: a hearing disability can range in severe forms such as mild to profound. It includes the subsets of deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Special Education in Ontario Schools Definition: an impairment that characterizes by lack of speech and language development because of non-existent or diminished auditory responses to sound.

•   Hearing loss in the first years of life can cause delays in speech, language, and cognitive development. Speech and language delays secondary to hearing loss are often preventable. Thus, early identification of hearing impairment, whether it is permanent (usually sensor neural) or temporary (usually conductive), is the key to a child's success with communication.

•   Significant hearing loss occurs in one to two per 1000 newborns and in two per 1000 young children. However, nearly all children develop transient hearing loss related to middle ear infections during the period from birth to 11 years of age 4. Knowledge of the etiology of the hearing loss, particularly if genetic, can affect family planning and assist in the development of the optimal habilitation plan for the patient.

•  There are 2 main types of hearing impairment; conductive hearing impairment and sensorineural hearing impairment. Conductive hearing impairment consists of problems in the outer or middle ear. It is usually medically treatable. Sensorineural hearing impairment is a problem within the inner ear. It is almost always permanent and requires a hearing aid. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs300/en/index.html