258 chapter 31
How deafness affects a child depends on:
1. when the child became deaf. For a
child who is born deaf or becomes
deaf before he begins to speak,
learning to speak or ‘read lips’ will
be far more difficult than for a child
who loses his hearing after he has
begun to speak.
2. how much the child still hears.
The better the child hears, the more
chance he has of learning to speak,
understand speech, and ‘read lips’.
3. other disabilities. Some deaf
children also have other problems.
A child who is mentally slow, blind,
or ‘multiply disabled’ will have a
harder time learning to communicate
than a child who is deaf only. (See
“Causes of Deafness.”)
4. how soon the problem is
recognized.
5. how well the child is accepted, and
how early he is helped to learn other
ways to communicate.
6. the system of communication that
is taught to the child (‘oral’ or ‘total’,
see p. 263).
CAUSES OF DEAFNESS
Deafness is not caused because the child did
something wrong or because someone is being
punished.
Common causes before a baby is born:
• hereditary (occurs in certain families, although the
parents themselves may not be deaf). Usually a
child has no other disability, and learns quickly.
• German measles during early pregnancy. Often
child also has brain damage and learning problems.
• Rh factor (see p. 91). Child often has other
disabilities also (see p. 283).
• Prematurity (born early and small). Two out of 3
have other disabilities also.
• lack of iodine in mother’s diet (common in areas
where many people have goiters). May show signs
of mental slowness or hypothyroidism (see p. 282).
• certain medicines taken by the mother while
pregnant, such as corticosteroids and phenytoin.
• difficult birth, baby slow to breathe.
• dwarfism and brittle bone disease (see p. 125).
Common causes after birth:
• ear infections—especially long-lasting
repeated infections with pus.
• meningitis (often child has other
pus
disabilities and behavioral problems).
• certain medicines (streptomycin, and related
antibiotics).
• frequent very loud noise.
Other causes. There are many other less common
causes of deafness. In 1 out of 3 children the cause is
not known.
Importance of early recognition of deafness
During the first years of life, a child’s mind is like a sponge; it learns language very
quickly. If a child’s hearing problem is not recognized early and effective help is not
provided, the best years for learning communication skills may be lost (age 0 to 7). The
earlier special training begins, the more a child can learn to communicate.
Parents should watch carefully for signs that show if a baby hears or not. Does the
baby show surprise or blink when you make a sudden loud noise? As the baby grows,
does he turn his head or smile when he hears familiar voices? Has he begun to say a few
words by 18 months of age? Does he say a lot of words fairly clearly by age 3 or 4? If
not, he may have a hearing problem. As soon as you suspect a problem, test the child’s
hearing.
Simple tests for hearing are on p. 450 and 451. If it seems the child does not hear
well, when possible, take him to a specialist for testing.
Unless a child is given a lot of understanding and help learning to communicate from
an early age, deafness can be one of the most difficult, lonely, and misunderstood
disabilities. The following 2 stories will help show the difference that it can make to
recognize a hearing problem early and provide the extra help that the child needs.
Disabled village Children