Importance of hearing evaluation in children with Down Syndrome

This article is based on a speech therapy workshop, organised by Nayi Disha with speech and language pathologist, Ms.Chitra Thadathil. The workshop conducted discussions on various topics such as Hearing, language and addressing speech concerns in children with Down syndrome, Sensory issues in children with Down syndrome, the Importance of ORO-MOTOR exercises, and the four important steps in Oro-Motor exercises and Speech sound hierarchy. 

In this video, Chitra is addressing speech concerns in children with Down syndrome. You can check the other videos here.

Hearing Concerns in Down Syndrome

“What you hear, is what you speak”, Ms.Chitra starts by giving an example of how a child hears the sound the sound “a” and says “a”, however if there is a concern in hearing may not hear the sound properly and may not produce the correct sound.

What you hear is what you think and understand

Similarly, when we talk, people can hear and comprehend what is being said. For instance, when we say it’s time to eat, the child thinks and understands that it’s time to eat. 

But if the child is unable to hear properly,they will not be able to understand the conversation.

Importance of hearing evaluations

It is extremely important that children with speech and language delay undergo a thorough hearing evaluation. 

Children with Down Syndrome often have mild hearing concerns that often go unnoticed. 

This makes it difficult to identify potential hearing loss and its impact on their speech development. 

A major concern in children with mild to moderate hearing loss is that they tend to miss on the finer sounds in speech like the ‘z, s, a” sounds. 

It is therefore crucial that an in-depth and detailed hearing evaluation is carried out, before intensive speech therapy is started. 

Who can address concerns in hearing?

A proper hearing evaluation can be done by a team of (Ear, Nose, Throat) ENT professionals and audiologists. 

An ENT first checks for any physiological issues such as ear infections, wax build ups etc. They can then address the issue such as clearing out the wax buildup or draining any fluid collected in the ear.

An audiologist carries out tests to check for hearing.

What can we do if there is hearing loss?

Any concerns identified should be addressed by using supportive tools like hearing aids that will help the child. 

Addressing the concerns immediately will also ensure the child does not miss out the critical time for early intervention.

Speech and language

It is essential that we understand the difference between speech and language. 

Language has more to do with the understanding of what is being spoken. 

Speech is expressive language.

Tips to improve speech and language development in your child

• Keep the child happy: A stressed and overwhelmed child will not be motivated or interested in activities. Therefore it is important to ensure that the child is comfortable and happy when we start working with the child.
• Keep yourself happy: 
• Use Pictures and visuals: Most children are visually strong, hence using many pictures to communicate will help improve language skills. Pictures can be used to interact and enhance their vocabulary as well. 
• Reading bedtime stories is also a useful practice, irrespective of whether or not the child understands. Keeping the story simple will enhance their interest and attention as well. 

It is very often that in children with Down syndrome we tend to miss spotting hearing loss because the loss is moderate. It is very crucial that every child who has a speech concern has their hearing evaluated before attempting speech therapy.

Additionally, you may download this caregiver’s manual to understand the long-term care and health of individuals with Downs Syndrome. 

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. You can call or what’s app us. Our counselors speak different languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and Bengali.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this guide is for information purposes only. Please consult a qualified health practitioner for safe management.