What is the effect of single sided hearing loss on my child’s function and development?
Traditionally, physicians and audiologists have been taught that if one ear is normal then auditory, speech, and language function and development will be normal. We now know this long-held belief is WRONG. Untreated single sided hearing loss in children produces several functional and developmental problems. Summarizing the research at the end of this article, it is fair to say that “the more difficult the listening situation the more dysfunctional single sided hearing becomes”. For example, a child with unilateral hearing impairment will function relatively normally at home in a quiet environment with a single person interaction with known speakers. That same child may have extreme difficulty in a noisy classroom. Even if teachers, parents, and professionals think the child is doing “just fine” with hearing only on one side, it is well documented that untreated single sided hearing loss has a significant potential impact to adult earning potential. Let’s be more scientific. First, yo
