Schools Need To Think About Students' Hearing

Hearing issues in the young can manifest in various ways, with some children having trouble only with certain voices while seeming to hear others perfectly. A child may have normal hearing one week, but a simple cold could affect their hearing the next. It's essential for parents and teachers to be vigilant for signs of potential hearing problems in children. The sooner concerns are addressed, the quicker appropriate actions can be taken. To highlight the importance of early detection, consider Jordan's story. Although the names have been changed, the story is real.

Case study
Jordan was a happy, friendly child who loved learning and playing with friends. At four years old, however, he began having trouble paying attention, following instructions, and staying still. He often daydreamed, became easily frustrated, and would shout at people. Occasionally, he even showed aggression by hitting or biting others. His parents and teachers were concerned and suspected issues such as ADHD or autism, but they were uncertain about the next steps.

One day, a school entry hearing screening team visited Jordan's school and used specialist SchoolScreener software, developed by Thomson Screening, to assess the children's hearing. The team found that Jordan did not pass the test, indicating a potential hearing problem.

Jordan was referred to the local paediatric audiology team, where they confirmed he had conductive hearing loss due to fluid in his middle ear, which prevented sound waves from reaching his inner ear. This caused sounds to be muffled and distorted, affecting his speech and language development.

The audiology team recommended ventilation tubes to drain the fluid and restore his hearing. However, with a waiting time of 4-6 months for the procedure, they did not want to delay Jordan's treatment and they provided him with a bone conduction hearing aid, a device that bypasses the middle ear and sends sound vibrations directly to the inner ear through the skull.

Initially overwhelmed, Jordan soon began to enjoy the sounds of birds, distant cars, music, and laughter. With the hearing aid, he could hear and respond to people, follow instructions, complete tasks, engage in conversations, make jokes, play with friends, and express his feelings. Jordan returned to being the happy, friendly child he once was.

During Jordan’s journey, his parents considered his 11-year-old sibling Auden, who was very shy and quiet. Teachers often commented that Auden would hardly participate in lessons and sometimes give very strange answers that were missing the point. So, the parents decided to take Auden for a hearing test. Soon they found out that Auden must have developed a permanent hearing loss soon after birth that had slowly worsened over the next 10 years. After being given hearing aids, Auden started to notice what she had been unable to hear before, and light was shone on why learning had been so difficult until then.

Schools have vital roles
It is important for parents and teachers to be curious and think about children’s hearing. Teachers can make such a positive difference to children with hearing difficulties.

A microphone for the teacher and speakers at the back of the classroom help pupils to understand better and enable a teacher’s voice to stay quieter and therefore calmer and clearer. Shouting does not help anyone with hearing problems.

Good classroom acoustics are also important. Bare glass or concrete walls generate echoes (increase reverberation) and degrade the sound information.

Most people can lip read to some extent, some better some worse. Being able to see a teacher’s face well when they are talking really helps. So, asking someone to listen and write at the same time disadvantages everyone with hearing problems even if they wear hearing aids. Hearing aids make things louder, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the sound is as normal.

If you have a school entry hearing screen team coming, please help them to find a quiet room for testing and support them in seeing all children.

More help and resources:
The local sensory impairment team and Teachers of the Deaf (ToDs) from the local authority

The Ewing Foundation (ewing-foundation.org.uk) offers help with classroom acoustics and education

Connevans School Soundfield (www.connevans.co.uk/catalogue/12/School-Soundfield)

The National Deaf Children Society: Improving listening conditions and reducing background noise (ndcs.org.uk)

Hearing tests that can be administered by non-clinical staff within the school: www.schoolscreenerforschools.com

Jordan and Auden's stories underscore the importance of early detection and intervention for hearing issues in children. Parents and teachers should be proactive in identifying potential hearing problems, ensuring that children receive the support they need to thrive both academically and socially.

Dr Sebastian Hendricks

Dr Sebastian Hendricks is a consultant in paediatric audiovestibular medicine at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children & Medical Director (Hearing) of Thomson Screening. Sebastian has a dual accreditation as a specialist in paediatrics and audiovestibular medicine.

Thomson Screening’s SchoolScreener software is used in over 5,000 schools by NHS (non clinical staff) screening KS1 children’s hearing and vision. A variant (www.schoolscreenerforschools.com) is now available for schools’ own use (from age 7) to assess whether an undetected hearing or vision deficit may be affecting progress or behaviour. SchoolScreenerforSchools includes automated reporting for SLT, parents and for OFSTED inspections.

Thomson Screening is the leading supplier of software for Vision and Hearing Screening and other School Health Needs including Health/Risk Assessments, Immunisations, Height/Weight and associated data management.

The company was founded in 2011 by City, University of London, and further develops and commercialises the work of Professor David Thomson, for 25 years head of Department at the University’s Department of Optometry and Dr. Sebastian Hendricks, Consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital in Paediatric Audiovestibular Medicine.

Thomson Screening’s products address healthcare, education and workplace needs around the world with the software has managing over 3million screenings to date. Customers include the NHS in the UK, non-profit organisations in the USA and NGOs in developing countries. https://schoolscreener.com/