Hearing Protection for School-Aged Children

Articles

May 1

Each year in May, we observe Better Hearing and Speech Month. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) aims to increase awareness and understanding about disorders related to speech and hearing. Everyone is encouraged to be mindful of their speech and hearing ability, but for children, it is especially important not only to address problems, but to prevent injury. Treatment for hearing or speech related disorders typically involve the expertise of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Speech-language pathologists play a vital role in the treatment and management of hearing and speech problems in individuals of all ages, as nearly 5% of the global populations is afflicted with some type of hearing loss.

What Does an SLP Do?

Speech-language pathologists (SLP) can work with individuals throughout the lifespan as their abilities change or injury occurs. Communication is drastically affected for those with hearing loss or speech disorders. For children, early intervention through speech therapy can provide more independence and a greater quality of life in the future. Speech-language pathologists will take every measure to increase a child’s ability to communicate using tools, visual cues, and may even introduce sign language. Beyond speech and hearing, speech-language pathologists work with individuals experiencing problems related to feeding and swallowing. May 18th is SLP Appreciation Day, which presents an opportunity for our team to highlight the amazing things speech-language pathologists achieve as they help their clients reach their maximum level of independence. Read about our featured SLPs this month, Theresa Grimes and Megan Trentman.

How Hearing Is Affected

It is fairly well-known that hearing loss can be the result of a person experiencing too much noise at high volumes. Noise level is indeed the number one factor when considering how to prevent hearing loss in children. Other reasons for hearing loss are related to disease. Meningitis, chickenpox, jaundice, and similar diseases can have a negative affect on hearing. Chemical exposure is another reason a child’s hearing may be affected. Carbon monoxide, typically found in cigarette smoke, gasoline emissions, and welding emissions, is one common chemical to avoid in order to protect children’s hearing.

Ways to Protect Children’s Hearing

Your child’s environment has a direct effect on their hearing. Protecting them from chemicals such as carbon monoxide is likely already a factor most parents are mindful of due to the potential exposure that exists in public spaces. But it is important to remember that when children reach school-age, controlling their environment becomes more difficult. The classroom, playground, band practice, or anywhere you child goes without their parents could bring the potential of unmitigated noise. School can be a noisy place which at times is difficult for staff to control. Sporting events, crowded hallways, school bands, and so much more can reach extremely loud volumes. Although you can’t control the environment, you can equip your child with what they need to prevent hearing loss.

Learning About Hearing

The first thing you can begin with when addressing the issue of noise with your child is to help them understand it. Explain to them how the ear works, from how sound enters and is processed, to how your brain is able to understand it. You can find great resources from the National Institute of Health to help illustrate how ears work. You can explain how to recognize when volume is too high, when it can cause damage, and when it is acceptable. If they have a better understanding of the negative effects of high volumes, they are more likely to use that knowledge to best address a noisy situation.

Hearing Tests

It is important for parents to have their children’s hearing tested early on in life. Particularly before going to school, parents should ensure that their children are able to hear properly or provide the tools they will need to do so. Safety is a consideration for children in regard to hearing as well. Hearing tests allow parents to feel confident in their child’s ability to prevent an accident such as hearing a vehicle in their vicinity.

Ear Protection

One simple and effective way to help your child protect their own hearing is to equip them with ear protection. Usually in the form of earplugs or noise-reducing headphones, these tools can be kept on hand in a backpack or school bag. If children understand when to use these tools, ensuring they are quickly accessible makes it easy to address a noisy situation. Help them engage more by allowing them to choose their favorite color or add stickers to headphones to add personalization.

Community Involvement

Parents can benefit from speaking to others in their community about any concerns of noise level or hearing loss prevention. For instance, your child’s school presents different environments for noise levels to rise. Visiting the school and speaking with teachers or administrators can help increase awareness of these environments. You can encourage teachers or staff to use devices to monitor noise levels to maintain a safe environment for kids.

Test for Noise

Because most individuals now carry a device with them at all times, it is easy to test the noise level in any location. Download an app that measures sound and use it when attending a sporting event, in the classroom, or at a show. Healthy Hearing offers a great list of apps you can use based on device, price, and capability.

There are so many steps you can take to ensure your children’s hearing is protected. Limiting their exposure to loud noises can prevent hearing loss. If your child is experiencing hearing loss, working with a speech-language pathologist can provide great benefit in school as well as increase their independence in the future. If you are looking to begin speech therapy for your child, contact the Tilton’s Therapy team to learn more. Our exceptional therapists work with patients of all ages throughout the regions of Northern Nevada, Southern Nevada, Oregon, and Hawaii.