What are the characteristics associated with the condition, particularly in children?

Half of deaf children are born deaf and half will lose their hearing at some time during their childhood. As many as 80% of all children will experience deafness, whether temporary, such as that caused by Glue Ear (where the middle part of the ear canal fills up with fluid, causing temporary hearing loss), or permanent, at some point during their childhood.

Spotting the sign of deafness is vital, so that children can receive the support they need, as soon as possible. Some typical signs of deafness might include:

• Not being startled by loud noises or turning toward sound
• Appearing to be daydreaming or not responding when called or asked to do something
• Mishearing and mispronouncing words
• Struggling to hear and join in if the environment is noisy, watching faces intently or waiting to see what others do before joining in
• Delayed or non-developing language
• Difficulties with early literacy skills
• Speaking too loudly or too softly

What’s it like to live with deafness in childhood?

Babies who are born deaf (or become deaf in the first few days of life) are usually identified through the newborn screening programme pathway.

This can be an unusually difficult time for families, who may go through a roller-coaster of emotions and ask themselves lots of questions. One parent told us:

‘How could our perfect baby be deaf? I blamed myself, perhaps it was something I’d done during pregnancy. It broke my heart that he’d never hear me tell him I love him. I fast-forwarded across the next 20 years – would he go to school? Would he be bullied? Would he get married, have a job?‘

Early identification allows early support from services such as audiologists, Teachers of the Deaf and Speech and Language Therapists, who can help families with their child’s deafness, communication and learning development.

Among these various agencies is the National Deaf Children’s Society, whose information, advice and support enables parents to make informed choices about their child’s future.

A vital part of the support provided by the charity is a sense of community, the chance to meet, share stories and gain strength from other families who are going through the same experiences. Above all, the National Deaf Children’s Society firmly believes that, with the right support from the start, deafness should never be a barrier to achievement or happiness.

‘We’ve come such a long way from that horrible dark place full of uncertainty. Now we embrace who he is, I want him to be proud of being deaf. We know there is a happy ending for my son, and that he’ll achieve everything he wants to. The world is his oyster.‘

What can parents do to help their child and find advice and support?

If you suspect your child has a hearing loss, contact the audiology department at your local hospital and request a hearing check, or speak to your GP.

If your child has recently been identified as deaf, or if you just want to find out more about deafness, the National Deaf Children’s Society provides information, advice and events for families. We also provide links to local groups, where you can meet the families of other deaf children.

For advice or support, call the charity’s free Helpline on 0808 800 8880. For more information, visit the charity’s website at www.ndcs.org.uk.

What research is being done in this area?

Depending on the type and level of deafness, hearing technologies including hearing aids and hearing implants can improve children’s access to speech. However, even though hearing technologies can make sounds louder and clearer, they can’t restore ‘normal’ hearing. A deaf child may still struggle to hear if the speaker isn’t facing them, is too far away or if there’s lots of background noise.

Medical research tries to find solutions to deafness, such as through gene therapy, or to prevent deafness from occurring as a result of medical intervention.

The National Deaf Children’s Society is always keen to stress that deafness should never be thought of as a barrier to achievement or happiness. The charity believes that, with the right support from the start, there’s no reason why deaf children shouldn’t aspire to or achieve any less than their hearing peers.

Where can parents find information, advice or support?