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When your child receives a diagnosis of hearing loss it can be overwhelming. Trying to understand the different types of loss, what it means for your child, and the possible outcomes can be an impossible task. I want to help simplify this information. When we found out Roses had hearing loss, I was given so much information I didn’t understand. Ultimately I think it would have been most helpful to break down each piece of the picture. That is what I hope to do for you.
Types of hearing loss
The starting point is to understand the different types of hearing loss. I remember learning how to classify animals in high school biology. This is how I view identifying hearing loss, we need to start with the broadest category and work our way down. This is why we start with the type of hearing loss.
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Conductive hearing loss
The first one is conductive hearing loss. This is when something stops sound from reaching the inner ear. It is a problem with the outer or middle ear. This can include ear infections, fluid in the ears, or other blockages. Conductive hearing loss can often be treated. A doctor might use tubes for fluid or reoccurring ear infections and an ear cleaning can remove any buildup blocking the sound.
Even children who don’t fail their newborn screening can develop temporary conductive hearing loss. I have a friend whose daughter had reoccurring ear infections. When she had fluid in her ears her audiology report was almost the same as my children’s, so it showed mild to moderate hearing loss. Once the fluid cleared up, her hearing returned to normal range. Untreated this type of hearing loss can still lead to speech delays and issues with learning.
Sensorineural hearing loss
The second basic type is sensorineural hearing loss. Roses and Dino have this type of hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is when there is a problem in the inner ear, cochlea, or nerve related to hearing. This type of hearing can not be treated with surgery or medicine. It will always require some form of accommodations, whether assistive technology or alternative communication choices.
Mixed hearing loss
There is a third type of hearing loss, which is mixed hearing loss. As the name implies, it is lost due to conductive and sensorineural reasons. The causes are similar, it simply can require a more complex treatment plan.
Degree of hearing loss
Roses finds it very frustrating that when she tells people she wears hearing aids they assume she is deaf. Most of us like to simplify things. Black and white. Right and wrong. No middle ground. This is extremely detrimental when understanding any type of difference. We can break down hearing loss into different degrees.
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Mild hearing loss
Mild hearing loss is when a person misses some speech sounds. Specific letters may be difficult to hear or understand. Quiet noises are also difficult to hear.
Moderate hearing loss
Moderate hearing loss is when a person may not hear any speech sounds when speaking at an average volume.
Severe hearing loss
Severe hearing loss is when a person cannot hear speech sounds at a normal volume and only hears loud sounds, like a lawnmower.
Profound hearing loss
Profound hearing loss is when a person does not hear any speech sounds, and can only hear very loud sounds, like a jet engine.
Keep in mind that a person with hearing loss doesn’t necessarily fall directly into one of these categories. They are more like a spectrum of loss. An audiologist can help you understand exactly what your child can hear.
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Roses and Dino have mild to moderate hearing loss. This means that they miss speech sounds like /s/, /f/, /h/. They can hear loud sounds, our dogs barking, the doorbell, or the weather sirens.
Frequency of hearing loss
Another thing to consider is the frequency of the hearing loss. Sounds fall in a range from high frequency to low frequency. This has nothing to do with how loud or quiet a sound is.
High frequencies are sounds like birds, flutes, and human speech.
Low frequencies are sounds like engines, bass, and elephants.
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My children have almost normal hearing in the low-frequency range. It is in the high-frequency range where it goes to moderate loss. This is important to know for your children because it will affect what accommodations you need to make.
Two more descriptions that help
There are two final things that can help you understand your child’s hearing loss.
You need to know if it is symmetrical or the same in both ears and if it is unilateral, in one ear, or bilateral, in both ears. My children have bilateral symmetrical hearing loss.
Finally, it is helpful to know if the hearing loss is stable or fluctuates. Some hearing loss is progressive and can change over time, while other losses will remain the same. Roses and Dino have stable hearing loss.
Why do you need to know this?
Ultimately you will find over time it gets easier to describe the hearing loss. This is important because you will need to also teach your children how to talk about their hearing loss. I have found that this is an important part of the advocacy journey.
For example. Roses can say she has bilateral mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss that is stable. Additionally, she knows it is genetic and can share that. This information is a part of her identity. It is just another way she can describe herself when needed.
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It can be overwhelming at first when you are bombarded with so many new medical terms. In the end, focus on what are the best ways to help your child describe their hearing loss. The rest will follow when you both need it.
Resources
For more information about the types of hearing loss please click HERE and HERE