How to Recognise the Signs of Hearing Loss in Children Aged 3 and Under

Hearing plays a vital role in a child’s early development. From birth, children are constantly learning to communicate, understand emotions, interact socially and make sense of the world around them.

Much of this learning happens through listening, including incidental learning, where children learn by overhearing conversations and sounds around them.

For this reason, identifying the signs of hearing loss early can be important for supporting a child’s speech, language and overall development.

How Does Hearing Affect Early Childhood Development?

The first three years of a child’s life are a period of rapid development. During this time, children develop communication, language, social and cognitive skills at their own individual pace.

While every child develops differently, significant difficulty hearing can affect the development of speech and language. This can potentially have a knock-on effect on other areas of development, particularly if hearing loss goes undetected.

Knowing what to look out for can help parents and carers recognise when it may be worth seeking professional advice.

Signs of Hearing Loss in Babies Under 6 Months

Babies respond to sounds in different ways, but some potential signs of hearing difficulties can include:

• Not responding to loud or unexpected sounds
• Not turning their eyes or head towards a sound
• Not appearing to recognise or respond to a parent or carer’s voice
• Not showing interest in toys that make sounds
• Not making different sounds when happy, excited or upset

If you notice that your baby consistently does not respond to sounds or voices, it is worth discussing your concerns with a healthcare professional or hearing specialist.

Signs of Hearing Loss in a 1-Year-Old

By around 12 months, many babies are becoming increasingly aware of sounds and using communication to interact with the people around them.

Some skills you may expect to see developing at this age include:

• Responding to their name
• Turning towards the direction of a sound
• Recognising familiar voices, music and everyday sounds
• Understanding familiar words such as “no”, “more” or “up”
• Listening to songs or stories for short periods
• Enjoying interactive games such as peek-a-boo
• Making a variety of sounds and possibly saying their first words

A child who consistently does not respond to their name, voices or everyday sounds may benefit from having their hearing checked.

Signs of Hearing Loss in a 2-Year-Old

By age two, many children are developing a rapidly expanding vocabulary and beginning to combine words into short phrases.

Potential signs that a child may be experiencing difficulty hearing include difficulty with:

• Understanding and using an increasing number of words
• Naming familiar objects in books or around the home
• Following simple instructions, such as “Pick up the doll”
• Recognising familiar body parts or pictures when they are named
• Asking or responding to simple questions such as “What’s that?”
• Combining words into simple phrases, such as “Daddy, up” or “No more toast”

It is important to remember that children develop at different rates. A delay in one area does not necessarily mean that a child has hearing loss. However, if you have ongoing concerns about your child’s response to sound or speech and language development, a hearing assessment can help identify whether hearing may be contributing.

Signs of Hearing Loss in a 3-Year-Old

By around three years old, many children are becoming more confident communicators and developing increasingly complex language skills.

Some signs to look out for include difficulty with:

• Putting words together to form short sentences
• Understanding concepts such as big and small, up and down, or stop and go
• Being understood by familiar people
• Asking and understanding questions such as “Why?”
• Following increasingly complex instructions
• Learning and understanding new words

If your three-year-old is experiencing noticeable difficulties with speech, language or understanding instructions, it may be worth discussing their hearing with a healthcare professional.

Why Is It Important to Have Your Child’s Hearing Tested?

Hearing plays an important role in a child’s ability to develop speech and language and interact with the people around them. When hearing loss is present, identifying it early can help ensure that appropriate support is provided as soon as possible.

Depending on the type and degree of hearing loss, support may include monitoring, communication support, hearing aids or, where clinically appropriate, cochlear implants.

A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that bypasses damaged parts of the inner ear to directly stimulate the auditory nerve.

Worried About Your Child’s Hearing?

If you have noticed that your child does not consistently respond to sounds, voices or their name, or you have concerns about their speech and language development, it is worth seeking professional advice.

You don’t need to wait until you are certain there is a problem. If you have concerns about your child’s hearing, our team is here to provide advice, answer your questions and help you understand what to do next.

Early support can make a meaningful difference to a child’s communication and development.