Children with unilateral losses need help in school with seating, with sight lines and to make sure they can follow classroom activity. How does deafness happen Just as there are many kinds of deafness there are many causes. The vast majority of people with hearing problems are the elderly. It is common to become increasingly deaf after the age of 55 or 60. Deafness in childhood may be caused by illness or accident.
Illness includes measles, mumps and meningitis.
Untreated ear infections may become acute and cause permanent deafness. A significant percentage of deafness is inherited. In many cases we do not know the cause. It is difficult to estimate the number of people in Britain who have an auditory problem. There are no national registers for deaf people or people with tinnitus.