I often hear parents refer to their child's "hearing age," even if their child was identified at birth with a mild loss. How can it be that a child who is fitted at 6 weeks with hearing aids and now hears at 40 dbs with amplification, is at the same "hearing age," as my child (also aided at six weeks) who hears at 40 dbs unaided and at 10 dbs aided? Considering that communication with an infant takes place approx six inches from the baby's ears. The "hearing age" concept seems like a blanket approach -- a fiction for HOH children id at birth. Thank you for your thoughts.

Dear Mr. ?,
You are absolutely correct in saying that "hearing age" is a general term that we audiologists use to better understand the progress we expect in a child's spoken language skills after receiving hearing aids (or a cochlear implant). Since all children develop spoken language in the same progressive steps, we are then able to predict and encourage what will be learned next. Of course a child with a mild hearing loss will quickly become age appropriate in speech and language. A child with a moderate loss will take longer. And there are other considerations, too. We have to think about how many hours each day the child wears hearing aids, the educational services being provided, the parents' dedication, and the little one's desire to communicate.
Since your child received amplification at 6 weeks of age and has aided thresholds of 10 dB, he should be well on his way to excellent spoken langauge skills. But remember that he will still need lots of guidence from you. Talk, talk, talk to your little fellow. Encourage all the communication you can.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Sutherland