Hearing Impairments - What Are the Causes?

In some cases, children with a hearing impairment are diagnosed early on, and the teacher already knows about the hearing loss before they begin teaching the child. In other cases, the teacher may be the first to notice there is a possible hearing loss when they observe difficulties such as loss of key information when instructions are given verbally, a reliance on written information, copying of the work of others, checking of conversations and misunderstandings. There are many types of hearing impairment, and they affect children in different ways. The causes also vary greatly, with some hearing problems occurring prior to birth and others occurring at a later stage of development.

So what are the causes of a hearing impairment?

The causes of hearing impairment vary from child to child and can be either congenital (from birth) or acquired (happens after birth). They can include:

A conductive hearing loss - this is caused by damage to the outer or middle parts of the ear. It causes a loss of the loudness element of sound entering the ear. It can often be helped by medical or surgical treatment. It is caused by:

1. blockage to the ear canal (eg. through wax or foreign objects such as beads, buttons, dirt or stones which have found their way into the ear and not been removed or come out again on their own)
2. ear infection to the outer part of the ear
3. a perforated ear drum (often due to a very loud noise close by)
4. a middle ear infection (a particularly common cause in younger children)
5. otosclerosis which is a condition where bone grows around the small bones deep within the ear

A sensorineural hearing loss - this is caused by damage to the cochlea or the hearing nerve. It can be from an acquired cause or it may be congenital. There are many causes of sensorineural hearing loss. These include:

1. Disease - such as meningitis or Meniere's disease (see this website for more information on meningitis)
2. Viruses - such as mumps or measles
3. Head injuries
4. Some drugs
5. Hereditary factors
6. Prematurity
7. Lack of oxygen at birth
8. Jaundice at birth (especially when the jaundice has been severe)

As a teacher it is important to remember that regardless of the causes of hearing impairment, the issue from a teaching perspective is how you adapt your instruction and the classroom environment to cater to the needs of a child with a hearing impairment. For some children this may include allowing for a hearing impairment which may fluctuate over time or where their ability to hear may seem to differ from one day to the next.

Source: author experience