Would you test for your curiosity?

la79al

I know DD has hearing loss on what side.  I don't know to what extent.  I really have no intentions on doing anything about it as I don't think it's really affecting her development at all.  I am however trying to decide on getting a hearing test done on that side, just to see to what degree she hears.  It's a non-invasive test that she probably won't mind a bit but would you get a test done just FYI if you really don't have any plans on doing anything with the results?

Soapstone

Yes. It could be treatable (ie fluid in the ear) or it could be progressive, which is something you would want to keep an eye on.

Assembly_Reqd

Absolutely, but then again, I would do something about it. My kid needs every leg up he can get since he has multiple issues.

Is this for the younger child or older one? You may have to test more than once to get accurate results and be able to make sure your child knows how they are supposed to react. You should be testing at least every 6 months for a few years to be sure the loss is not progressive. If you do not know the cause of the loss, I would also have your second child formally tested in case there is a genetic component. Passing the newborn hearing screening is not enough. I believe that test uses clicks and is not testing the entire frequency range.

If you do not plan to use any interventions, and this is the school aged child, you may need to get some accomodations for her in the classroom. i.e. seating in front, seating so that her good ear is closest to the teacher etc.

Jinsy80

Absolutely. Why wouldn't you do anything to help her hearing? I'm confused.

Andrewsgal

Jinsy80:

Absolutely. Why wouldn't you do anything to help her hearing? I'm confused.

Actually it is not uncommon to not do anything. My niece has a pretty significant hearing loss in one ear. It does not effect her academically, and the audiologist said that due to that fact it is better to do nothing since hearing aids for Childre can be socially stigmatizing.

luvmycoca

Absolutely I would test her hearing and continue monitoring throughout the years.  It is true that normal speech and hearing is possible with one good ear so I would not debate why you would not do anything about the loss, but you want to be aware of the limitations on that ear.  B knowing what frequency her loss is in you will be able to recognize if she is struggling with speech at all. How old is she?  Is she already speaking?  When school starts preferential seating so the teacher or peer partner in a group setting is on her good side.

clc023

Absolutely would.  Like others said, it's important to establish her baseline so you can know if things progress as well as how it may affect her in the school setting.  Many kids with hearing loss succeed in smaller group settings and then struggle when they get into a classroom with 20+ kids, so it is something to look out for and work on any accommodations that may be necessary, even simple things as seating, making the environment more friendly can make a world of difference if you aren't planning on aiding her.

 

I would like to add though-many kids do exceptionally well with hearing from just 1 side, however she can still be affected.  It's harder to localize sound(very important when you are listening for oncoming vehicles).