Resources
SIMULATION
EXPERIENCE HEARING LOSS: Click on the following simulation links to discover how sensorineural hearing losses affect hearing. This type of hearing impairment is by far the most frequent and is caused by a dysfunction of the inner ear. The first simulated hearing loss is a mild one.The second simulated hearing loss reflects a typical "sloping" (i.e., less hearing in the high frequencies) moderate hearing loss.
HEARING LOSS 101
A hearing loss can happen when any part of the ear or auditory (hearing) system is not working in the usual way. Hearing loss that occurs within the Speech Banana can slow the development of a child's language and speech abilities which, in turn, can profoundly interfere with learning.
Click here for information on the ear's anatomy, types of hearing loss, the degrees of hearing loss, and descriptive of hearing loss (pg 1).
HEARING AIDS 101
A hearing aid is a small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear. It makes some sounds louder so that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate, and participate more fully in daily activities.
How can hearing aids help? Hearing aids are primarily useful in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss.
Click here for more information on the types of hearing aids (pg 2).
RESOURCES
South Carolina Hands & Voices SC Hands and Voices is a growing chapter of the national Hands & Voices organization. SCHV is a parent-driven, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting SC families of children who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. Click HERE to view their resource page with State and National links.
INFANTS and CHILDREN STATISTICS
FACT: About 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf or hard-of-hearing. Nine out of every 10 children who are born deaf are born to parents who can hear. (1)
FACT: Approximately 188,000 people worldwide have received cochlear implants. In the United States, roughly 41,500 adults and 25,500 children have received them. (1)
FACT: Approximately 3 in 1,000 babies are born with permanent hearing loss, making hearing loss one of the most common birth defects in America. (2)
FACT: 96% of children with permanent hearing loss are born to one hearing parent and one parent with hearing loss. (3)
FACT: Most children with hearing loss who receive appropriate services from trained staff are able to progress at age-appropriate rates. (4)
FACT: Left undetected, mild or unilateral hearing loss can result in delayed speech and language acquisition, social-emotional or behavioral problems, and lags in academic achievement. (5)
FACT: Only 1 out of 5 people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one. (1)
Sources:
(1) Compiled by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
(2) Ross, D.,Holstrum, W.J. Gaffney, M., Green, D., Oyler, r., and Gravel, J. (2008)
(3) Mitchell & Karchmer, 2004
(4) (Geers et al., 2009)
(5) Yoshinaga-Itano et al., 1998; Bess, 1985; Bess et al., 1988