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If you have a child who is hearing impaired, we are here to help. In addition to our services, there are many resources for education and support that we can can connect you with.
Sign language is a complex language that uses signs made by moving the hands combined with facial expressions and postures of the body. American Sign Language (ASL) is the primary language for most North Americans who are deaf and is another communication option for those who are hearing impaired. There is no universal sign language and other countries or regions have their own version. If you are interested in learning ASL, visit the American Sign Language page at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication disorders.
Auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) is a way to teach deaf children to listen, process verbal language and speak using their residual hearing and hearing devices. The goal of AVT is to provide deaf and hard-of-hearing children with the tools they need to learn in a traditional school environment and be more independent. If you are interested in AVT for your child, Hearing Loss Association of America has a list of resources for California that you can contact for more information. Listening and Communication Enhancement (LACE) is also a great resource for learning to hear better.
There are local therapy programs that may help your hearing impaired child. Speech and language pathologists specialize in speech and language therapy. They can be a great help to hearing impaired children as well as children with disorders that affect speech and who are learning to communicate with others. Ruth Horowitz is a local speech pathologist who works with children using auditory verbal therapy. Communications Matters are CCS paneled speech pathologists who work with children experiencing speech, language and social communication challenges. If you are in need of a preschool for your hearing impaired or speech challenged child, Dickinson C Ross Preschool offers a communication-rich curriculum.
Pediatric speech delay is when a child’s speech development is significantly below the norm for an average child of the same age. Speech delay is concerning because it is often accompanied by other developmental problems and can significantly impact the personal, social and academic parts of their life. Delays can be caused by various conditions and disorders such as hearing loss, autism or receptive aphasia. If you would like to learn more, visit the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s webpage on speech delay.
The Ling Six Sound Test is a simple speech and hearing test that can be used with hearing aids, cochlear implants or no amplification at all to assess communication abilities. Utilizing the phonemes [m], [ah], [oo], [ee], [sh] and [s] to encompass low, middle and high frequencies, the test is a low tech accurate identification tool. It is an important part of testing for hearing loss in children, a child can be asked to clap in response to hearing the sounds presented, or to repeat the sound made by the clinician. The child’s response to the sounds can be a good indication of a possible hearing loss.
If you are interested in learning more about the Ling Six Sound Test, contact us today. The results of a hearing test will often be displayed on an Acoustic Audiogram, which is used to indicate sounds an individual with hearing loss may struggle to hear in their daily activities. Click on the following to view an example of an Acoustic Audiogram.
Autism and autism spectrum disorder are both used to describe a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are marked in varying degrees by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behavior. Each case of autism is unique and can range from high functioning to significantly disabled. While there are speech problems associated with autism, Asperger syndrome is a high functioning autism spectrum disorder. This syndrome typically doesn’t have speech problems, but the individual may overspeak and have one-sided conversations. If you have a child with autism or Asperger syndrome and need resources for communicating with them, there are many resources such as Autism Speaks webpages on autism and Asperger syndrome.
If you have questions about resources for your child and family, please contact our office at (818) 859-7730 to speak with one of our team members.
Hearing loss affects more than 48 million people in every age group. In fact, one to three of every 1,000 newborns is born with hearing loss and an estimated 30 of every 1,000 school-age children have some degree of hearing loss.
An estimated 30 of every 1,000 school-age children have some degree of hearing loss.
Pediatric hearing loss can be caused by a variety of factors. They include certain medications, genetic history, ear infections, exposure to harmful noise levels and injury to the head. Depending on the cause, the hearing loss may not be reversible.
Signs of hearing loss will vary by age group and are based on developmental milestones. If you would like to learn more about developmental milestones, please visit our page on hearing aids, hearing implants, auditory verbal therapy and sign language. From brain health to language development, studies have shown that children with hearing loss benefit from the ability to communicate with others.
If you are concerned your child has hearing loss, please contact our office at (818) 859-7730 to schedule an appointment.
The pediatric hearing test is non-invasive and provides information on the degree of hearing loss, the cause and possible treatment options. Though some of the same testing may be used in newborn screening, pediatric hearing tests provide more information on a child’s hearing loss.
Pediatric hearing tests provide more information on a child’s hearing loss.
Tests may include:
Visual Reinforcement or Play Audiometry – Behavioral tests that are performed in our research-quality sound booth. They both measure the child’s response to sound either through looking in the direction of the sound or performing a task prompted by the sound.
Otoacoustic Emissions – Sounds produced by healthy ears in response to acoustic stimulation. It requires a probe to be inserted into the ear canal that delivers stimulus to the ear while the responses are measured.
Auditory Brainstem Response – Measures brain responses to a series of sounds while the patient rests. This test is most often used in newborn screenings.
If you are concerned your child has hearing loss, please contact our office at (818) 859-7730 to schedule an appointment for a hearing test.
Before a newborn is brought home from the hospital, the newborn must have a hearing screening. Most newborns are born with normal hearing, but one to three of every 1,000 babies born has some degree of hearing loss.
One to three of every 1,000 babies born has some degree of hearing loss.
A hearing screening is a pass or fail test that screens for normal hearing levels. If the newborn fails the test, the newborn will require further evaluation from an audiologist. Early detection of hearing loss in babies is very important to their learning, speech and language development. Studies report that babies who receive early intervention by six months old typically go on to develop good language and learning skills.
Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing is a helpful tool used in the newborn screening. It measures how the hearing nerve responds to sound. Clicks or tones are played through earphones on the baby’s ears while electrodes placed on the baby’s head measure the nerve’s response.
Our practice offers newborn screenings. Please contact our office at (818) 859-7730 to schedule an appointment if you are concerned about your newborn’s hearing.
Do you have a ringing in your ears that isn’t coming from outside your body? You could have a common health problem called tinnitus that affects nearly 50 million Americans. It’s often described as a ringing in one or both ears, but it can also be a clicking, buzzing, hissing or roaring. It’s typically not a sign of something serious, but it can be a sign of an underlying condition such as hearing loss, an ear injury or circulatory system disorder.
Most cases of tinnitus are associated with noise induced hearing loss.
Most cases of tinnitus are subjective, which means only the patient can hear the sound. It is rarer, but some cases can be objective, meaning the doctor can also hear the sound when they examine the ear. It can be difficult to find the exact cause of the ringing in the ear. In fact, the cause is never found in some cases. Most cases of tinnitus are associated with noise induced hearing loss.
There is no one clinically proven way to eliminate buzzing in the ear; however, there are several options for treatment that include managing tinnitus and reducing symptoms. Treatments that have been proven to help patients include hearing aids, masking or noise suppression devices, white noise machines and tinnitus retraining therapy.
You should seek medical attention if you have tinnitus that occurs suddenly or without an apparent cause and tinnitus accompanied by hearing loss or dizziness. If you or someone you care for has symptoms of tinnitus, please contact our office at (818) 859-7730 to schedule an appointment.
Approximately 26 million Americans have noise induced hearing loss. Exposure to harmful noise levels can be found in all aspects of our lives, and the hearing loss is permanent. However, there are ways that you can protect your ear from harmful noise levels and prevent permanent hearing loss.
Approximately 26 million Americans have noise induced hearing loss.
Whether you are exposed to loud noise at work or outside of work, earmuffs and earplugs are a great solution for hearing protection. Earmuffs and earplugs block harmful noise levels from entering the ear. They can either muffle the sound to a reasonable level or completely cancel the noise altogether. Whether you work in construction or entertainment, there is a hearing protection option that will fit your needs.
Our practice offers custom earplugs that are perfectly formed to fit your ear providing maximum comfort and protection. We also provide solutions to protect your hearing if you are in the music or entertainment industry. Musicians earplugs and monitors are a great option if you need to protect your hearing, but still hear the music.
If you or someone you care for needs hearing protection, please contact our office at (818) 859-7730.
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) test, also called an auditory evoked potential (AEP), gives information about the inner ear and brain pathways for hearing. Electrodes are placed on the head that record brain wave activity in response to sound. The person being tested needs to rest quietly or be asleep during the test.
It can also be used as a screening test for newborns.
Who is auditory brainstem response (ABR) test for?
ABR is useful for children or adults who have difficulties with other hearing tests in addition to individuals with signs of hearing loss in the brain or brain pathway. It can also be used as a screening test for newborns; however, only one loudness level will be checked, and the infant will either pass or fail the screen.
If you or someone you care for is showing signs of hearing loss, please contact our office at (818) 859-7730 to schedule an appointment for an evaluation.
