They are the toys that parents dread: wailing baby dolls, loud toy drums, karaoke machines. The noise can drive a person up the wall. Here’s a good excuse for getting rid of them: they may damage children’s hearing, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Understanding children and the possible hearing loss can help plan early enough for treatment. Children can experience two kinds of deprivation in their ability to hear. One of them is the conductive impairment.
Several theories abound regarding the overall language skills of children with hearing loss. The most prevalent being the theory that because children with hearing loss can only hear with hearing aids, they are behind the curve of normal language development.
The subject of hearing aids for children can be a sensitive one. Children can be more susceptible to bullying and developing a poor self-image if they experience hearing problems, especially if those problems are treated in a way that’s obvious to their peers.
The moment that your child receives a hearing loss diagnosis can cause hardship for the entire family. Not only must make new allowances for you child’s needs, but you must navigate the stress of your new reality while also making difficult decisions.
Today many parents veto loud toys because they’re annoying, the Sight & Hearing Association (SHA) is asking parents to consider another reason: hearing damage.
