Childhood hearing loss impacts the way that a child develops language and communicates. Childhood hearing loss requires prompt diagnosis and intervention to help children develop language, learn and socialize.
Children can be born with hearing loss or acquire it later on. A child’s hearing loss can generally be attributed to genetics and diseases or injuries like meningitis or cytomegalovirus (CMV). Ear infections are also a common cause of childhood hearing loss. Luckily, this type of hearing loss usually comes and goes and does not have a significant impact on the child’s overall development.
Every family’s experience in raising a child with hearing loss is different. We will work with your family to develop goals and make decisions that are right for you and your child.
What we offer
- Newborn hearing screenings.
- Diagnostic hearing evaluations for children.
- Pediatric hearing aid and/or hearing assistive device fittings and follow ups.
- Diagnostic vestibular evaluations for children.
We are fully equipped to tailor your child’s hearing test to their age and developmental capability.
Depending upon your child’s age and unique factors, they may receive a hearing test while they are naturally asleep or while they are awake and participating. Some children may dislike having their hearing tested because it requires that we touch their ears — we will work with your child to make the experience as pleasant as possible.
If your child is diagnosed with hearing loss, we may:
- Recommend medical specialties for you to consult with.
- Provide education on how your child's hearing loss can impact their development.
- Help you make decisions on how your child will learn to communicate.
- Provide connections to community resources that will help you and your child learn American Sign Language.
- Help you choose hearing devices, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants to help your child communicate.
- Help you find financial resources to pay for hearing aids, if you qualify.
- Fit and program hearing devices for your child.
- Provide education on how to manage your child’s hearing devices and how to help your child achieve consistent hearing device usage and language access.
- Monitor your child’s development of auditory skills.
- Provide connections to community resources that will help support your family and help you raise your child.
- Ensure that your child has access to communication as they grow and develop.
Central auditory processing disorder: An auditory processing disorder (APD) is the inability or a decreased ability to attend, discriminate, recognize or comprehend auditory information. The clinic offers a diagnostic evaluation, environmental modifications, management strategies, or treatment with amplification/hearing assistive technology (HAT) system devices, as appropriate.
The ASU Speech and Hearing Clinic is a fee-for-service clinic. Services are provided by graduate student clinicians enrolled in clinical practicum and sessions are planned and conducted under the supervision of a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist. We accept most major health insurances. A cash discount is available upon request and financial aid scholarships are available for qualified individuals. Our clinic staff will work with you prior to your appointment to determine if your insurance benefit covers speech and language services.