Denver, September 7, 2010—Denver Hearing Aids is joining the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) in promoting ADHD Awareness Week, which runs from September 13 through 17. Denver Hearing Aids will be working to raise awareness of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), the relationship between AD/HD and hearing loss, and the importance of including hearing checks as part of the AD/HD diagnosis process.
To help ensure that the needs of children with AD/HD are fully met, Denver Hearing Aids also is encouraging appropriate treatment by a hearing health professional when hearing loss and/or other auditory-related communication disorders are found to co-exist with AD/HD.
Studies show that hearing loss frequently coexists with AD/HD. Children struggling with undiagnosed hearing loss often exhibit similar behavior characteristics as those with AD/HD. Academic performance, completing assignments, carrying out multistep directions, and sustaining attention during oral presentations can be problematic for children with either AD/HD or undetected hearing loss. Impulsiveness, acting out, inappropriate responses to questions, low self esteem, and difficulty with social interactions also challenge children struggling with either condition.
Hearing loss should be considered a possible cause of a child’s symptoms when making a careful and accurate AD/HD diagnosis. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists can contribute important information necessary for initial diagnosis of the disorder. And when hearing loss or auditory-related communication disorders are found to co-exist with AD/HD, the child should have access to a full range of services and supports to meet his or her needs.
“Both AD/HD and hearing loss can affect a child’s academic performance, social development, and self esteem,” Randall D. Smith of Denver Hearing Aids. “But an early, accurate diagnosis and appropriate interventions can make a dramatic difference in the child’s life.”
AD/HD is the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder in children in the United States today, affecting 3 to 7 percent of school-aged children (Source: CDC). At the same time, about 1.4 million young people in the United States have hearing loss, and only 12 percent of them receive the help they need. Studies show that children with even mild hearing loss, when left unaddressed, are at risk for learning, and other social, emotional, behavioral, and self-image problems.
“With the new school year just starting here in Denver, this is the ideal time to raise awareness among parents and teachers of the signs of AD/HD and unaddressed hearing loss” says Smith. “We need to advocate for these children so they get the help they need. Denver Hearing Aids wants to help ensure that learning remains a very positive experience for these children and that they grow up believing in their ability to succeed.”
Sergei Kochkin, PhD, BHI’s executive director says: “AD/HD is a very real condition with serious long-term implications for children when left unaddressed. When coupled with hearing loss and other auditory-related communication disorders, the challenges for these children become even greater.
“I strongly encourage both parents and educators to seek evidence-based information on AD/HD and inform themselves of the facts so when a child with AD/HD needs their help, they are able to make a difference.”
About AD/HD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) is a neurobiological disorder. It is characterized by developmentally inappropriate impulsivity, inattention, and in some cases, hyperactivity. Although individuals with AD/HD can be very successful in life, without appropriate identification and treatment, AD/HD can have serious consequences. These consequences may include school failure, depression, conduct disorder, failed relationships, and substance abuse. Early identification and treatment are extremely important. (Source: CHADD)
About Hearing Loss and Learning
Children with even a mild hearing loss are at risk for learning and other social, emotional, and behavioral problems. The pediatric literature demonstrates that even children with “minimal” hearing loss are at risk academically compared to their normal hearing peers.
Hearing loss of any type or degree in a child can present a barrier to “incidental learning.” Up to 90 percent of a young child’s knowledge is attributed to incidental reception of conversations around him or her. Hearing loss poses a barrier to the child’s ability to overhear and to learn from the environment. And it causes the child to miss a significant portion of classroom instruction. Hearing loss also frequently causes a child to miss social cues. Not surprisingly, many of the symptoms of unaddressed hearing loss in children overlap those of AD/HD.
The BHI study, “Are 1 Million Dependents in America with Hearing Loss Being Left Behind?” found the following common problem areas for children with hearing loss: social skills (52%); speech and language development (51%); grades in school (50%); emotional health (42%); relationships with peers (38%); self-esteem (37%); and relationships with family (36%).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 12.5 percent of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years—or approximately 5.2 million youth—have permanent hearing damage from excessive exposure to noise. And according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, one in every five teens has at least a slight hearing loss; one in every 20 has a more severe loss; the proportion of teens in the United States with slight hearing loss has increased 30 percent in the last 15 years; and the number with mild or worse hearing loss has increased 77 percent.
For more information on AD/HD, visit the CHADD website or the National Resource Center on AD/HD website. For more information on ADHD Awareness Week, visit www.ADHDAwareness2010.org.
Tags: children with hearing loss, attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, AD/HD, speech and language development
