The association reminds us that the month of May is designated Better Hearing and Speech Month by the American Speech Language Hearing Association. According to the Southwestern Illinois association, hearing impairment in young children affects their ability to learn language. Children who do not acquire a basic mastery of language before the age of 6 or 7 may never achieve fluency in any language. Better Hearing and Speech Month is a good time to consider what to do if you or someone close to you has a hearing problem. Hearing is a sense that is often taken for granted.
Many people are confused about what to do if they think they have a hearing loss.
There are steps you can take, according to the Southwestern Illinois Speech, Language, and Hearing Association. Some hearing losses are medically treatable by physicians or ear specialists. Many doctors include a hearing screening in their examination and will refer patients to an audiologist for a complete audiological evaluation if they detect possible hearing loss. An audiologist is a hearing specialist with a master's degree in audiology. They are licensed by the state of Illinois and certified by the American Speech Language Hearing Association.