August 2014
SanTan
FAMILY FUN
1
Hearing checks important for young kids
“An award-winning publication” By Alison Stanton
A publication of the
SanTan Sun News
What’s inside
Pages 2-4 SanTan Family Fun Calendar
Page 10 Your child’s first eye doctor visit
Page 12 Just 4 Kids Sponsored by City of Chandler Recreation Division
Special High School Football Section SPONSORED BY: SCORPION CROSSFIT
Pages 4-8 Gridiron Update
When Liz Booth was 7 years old, she was diagnosed with a mild hearing loss. Booth, a commissioner with the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, says as a person with hearing loss, she is glad that Arizona newborns are required to have their hearing tested. “Parents should be aware that there is a law that says newborns should have their hearing tested before they even leave the hospital, so usually within the first three days of birth they will be screened,” says Booth, a Chandler resident who also serves as a leader and co-leader of the Hearing Loss Association of America chapters in Fountain Hills and Sun Lakes. The test is noninvasive and not painful. “The earlier a child is diagnosed with a hearing loss, the better it is. When they screen at the very beginning, if a hearing Although parents might wonder if loss shows up, babies can usually be their children have hearing problems if diagnosed by the time they are 3 months they seem unable to hear anything they and then start receiving help by say, Booth says there are ways to tell if 6 months.” kids truly have a hearing loss or are just Around three out of every 1,000 newborns do show some sort of hearing loss, being inattentive. “If the child is not responding when Booth says. the parent is speaking to them from “Beyond that, two out of 100 kids do behind, it might indicate a show a hearing loss before problem,” Booth says, adding the age of 18. Because we that to properly test this, parwant to catch those two kids, ents should say something it’s important to have their “attractive” like asking if the hearing checked.” child wants some ice cream, June Lopez, district nurse as opposed to requesting he or for Chandler Unified School she take out the trash. District, says according to “If you are talking and your Arizona state law, the district child is not looking at you, or if tests the hearing of students there is a loud noise and the in preschool, kindergarten, child does not look towards it, first, second, sixth and these can be signs of a hearing ninth grades. WATCHING FOR SYMP“We also test any student TOMS: Liz Booth says par- loss,” says Lopez. Speech patterns that are in any grade level who is new ents should pay close to the district, as well as any attention to their children to different from other children, student whose mom, dad or see if they show any signs frequent ear infections, and of a hearing loss. certain illnesses like measles, teacher is concerned about Submitted photo mumps and meningitis are his or her hearing,” Lopez also all signs and/or causes of says, adding that if necessary, hearing loss, Booth says. the child can then be referred to a physiIn Booth’s case, her parents suspected cian or audiologist for additional testing. she might have a hearing loss when she To help determine if their child might consistently had the television volume have a hearing loss, Booth says it’s turned up really high. important for parents to be aware of “If parents suspect their child has a the various expectations at certain problem with hearing, they should milestones, especially between birth mention it to their pediatrician, and and 2 years of age. follow up with an ENT, audiologist or “Parents should watch to see if their otolaryngologist,” Booth says. baby startles at loud sounds, smiles There are a variety of tests that can be when spoken to, and reacts to rattles and other toys that make noise,” Booth says. “Young kids should respond to their names, and start saying ‘mama’ and ‘dada’. If they can hear their voice, they should be able to use it to speak.” Young children should also enjoy listening to stories, and eventually learn to follow easy directions and point to body parts, as well as respond to input like environmental sounds, Booth says.
performed on even very small children who are too young to follow directions about responding to beeps, words and sounds. “It’s so important to catch it right away,” Booth says. “Mild or profound, a hearing loss can have a marked impact on a child, and although it can be devastating to parents to know their child has a disability, they need to know that help is out there.” Alison Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at Alison@SanTanSun.com.
Resources Books:
• Your Child’s Hearing Loss: What Parents Need to Know,” by Debby Waldman • “Late Onset Hearing Loss: A Parent’s Perspective of What to Do When Your Child is Diagnosed,” by Krystyan Krywko Ed.D. • “Lucy,” by Sally O. Lee • “A Birthday for Ben,” by Kate Gaynor Websites:
• www.acdhh.org • www.hearingloss.org; click on “Hearing Help” and then “Parents”
Speech patterns that are different from other children, frequent ear infections, and certain illnesses like measles, mumps and meningitis are also all signs and/or causes of hearing loss