Hearing Disorders

Conductive Hearing Loss:

Conductive hearing loss is when sound can't reach your inner ear. This can be caused by ear infections, fluid build up in your middle ear, something growing inside your ear canal, or Earwax pressing on the eardrum

Sensorineural Hearing Loss:
Sensorineural hearing loss is when the cochlea or the auditory nerve aren't working. This can be caused by side effects of medicine, infections, high fevers, or can be genetic.

Characteristics of Normal Hearing:

Birth to 3 months:

• Reacts to loud noises
• Wakes up at loud sounds
• Soothed by the sound of your voice
• Makes sounds in the back of his/her throat

3 to 6 months:

• Reacts to the sound of your voice
• Start turning her/his head or eyes towards sounds
• Like playing with toys that make noise
• Stop to listen to voices
• Smile when someone talks
  
• Has different cries

6 to 12 months:

• Answer to their name
• Make many different sounds
• Understands simple words, like "mama," "dada," and "wave bye-bye"
• Turn head to familiar sounds, like a telephone ringing
• React to changes in your tone of voice
• Copy sounds overheard
• Answer simple questions like, "Where's the ball?"
• Recognize his/her name
• Understand what "no" means

From 12 to 18 months:

• Gives you a toy when you ask
• Point to parts of the body
• Put sounds together
• Use a few simple words, like "mama," "more," and "no."
• Follow simple directions

By 18 months:

• Understand about 50 words

By 2 years:

• Understand yes and no questions
• Use words that you often use at home or school
• Make simple sentences
• Follow simple orders without being shown what to do

By 2 ½ years:

• Use about 270 words
• Say or sing short rhymes and songs
• Check out interesting sounds, or tell others about them

By 3 years:

• Make simple sentences of 3 to 4 words
• Use about 1,000 words
• Be able to tell a story
• Know her name and the names of people in her family
• Sing songs