Hearing Loss

5 Pages 1370 Words

This paper is based on a disability that many Americans have, hearing loss. The nature, causality, assessment, prevention, and accommodation are things that will be discussed. This paper will also discuss some of my personal experiences of hearing loss through experiences my friend has encountered.
According to Gallaudet University, approximately 1 of every 1,000 infants is born deaf while 6 of every 1,000 are born with some degree of hearing loss. Permanent hearing loss at birth annually affects 24,000 infants in the USA. In other words, 6 infants out of 1,000 will have a hearing loss in a least one ear that will affect communication, cognition, and educational development. Twenty to thirty percent of hearing loss in children occurs during infancy and early childhood. Some children will suffer hearing loss in one ear or possibly both.
There are different types of hearing loss. A conductive hearing loss occurs in the middle ear. This is where three small bones involved in hearing are located. A hearing loss that occurs in this part of the ear is usually temporary. Chronic or recurrent ear infections may cause a hearing loss in the middle ear. There are cases where there is a malformation in this area that can be improved or corrected through surgery. There are occasions when a problem in the middle ear cannot be corrected. A sensori-neural hearing loss occurs in the middle ear and indicates that there is nerve damage. This type of loss is not reversible. There are different natures of hearing loss some that can be corrected or others that are irreversible.
Parents sometimes ask, “Why did this happen to my child?” In some cases, the cause of a child’s hearing loss may be easy to trace. There may be a family history of deafness, a congenital condition, an illness, an accident, a prescribed medication that may be the cause of hearing loss. In many cases, there may be no obvious reason for the hearing loss. Parents must come to ...