May is Better Hearing and Speech (BHSM) month. To help bring awareness to the topic, The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has launched a new campaign as well as providing new resources intended to educate about this year’s topic “Communication Disorders are Treatable”. This segment will cover sound-induced hearing loss.
To participate in this years BHSM Month and to bring awareness to this important topic I am hosting a 4 part series on speech and hearing issues. Be sure to check out part 1: Hearing and Speech Starting at Birth.
Sound-induced hearing loss
This week’s section is on sound-induced hearing loss in children and teens. This type of high-frequency hearing loss is caused by loud noises and is typically preventable. This type of hearing loss has been on the rise in recent years, with recent studies showing that 1 in 6 teens suffer from it. It is suspected that one contributing factor for this rise is personal audio technology that is often listened to with headphones. Researchers also believe that parents are not fully aware of the signs and risk factors associated with this kind of hearing loss.
To help bring some awareness to noise-induced hearing loss, the ASHA are making parents aware of a few of the symptoms of noise induced hearing loss and some simple tips to prevent it.
• Model good behavior- keep your own music and technology devices at appropriate sound levels.
• Talk it Up– Talk to your kids about the dangers and risks of continually listening to high frequency noises teach them that the more intense the sound is, the shorter amount of time somebody can listen to it without increasing the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Also talk to them about the educational and social effects that occur along with hearing loss.
•There’s An App for That- Many personal audio and tech devices have a setting that allows parents to regulate sound output. There are also many apps available that allow parents to regulate these settings.
•Listen For Change- one of the first signs that a child or teen may be suffering from hearing loss is if he constantly says “what?” or “huh?”
If you suspect your child or teen has a hearing issue, be sure to get help right away. Hearing loss can cause a variety of issues, including educational set-backs, so be sure to get it seen to immediately. If you suspect your child has noise induced hearing loss, or if you just want to get more information on preventing it visit the ASHA’s page “listen to your buds.” Also be sure to keep a look out on Cleverhousewife.com next week when we will discus communication topics related to autism.
Leanne Cox is a guest writer for CleverHousewife.com. She is a stay-at-home mom to two kids, and a credentialed preschool teacher. Leanne teaches “mommy-and-me” and “preschool style” music & movement classes through her business “Little Stars Music & Movement Classes” . She is passionate about encouraging early childhood education through hands on learning and exploration
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