Why You Should Care

1. Even minimal hearing loss can affect a child's social interaction, communication skills, behavior, emotional development, and academic performance.


2. Children with hearing loss can have:


• Difficulty speaking and understanding verbal communication.


• Problems in academic achievement, including language arts, vocabulary, arithmetic, and problem solving.


• Lower scores on achievement and verbal IQ tests.


• Greater need for enrollment in special education or extra support in the classroom.


• Feelings of isolation, exclusion, embarrassment, annoyance, confusion, and helplessness.


• A reluctance to participate in activities with others.


• Significant problems following directions.