Unilateral deafness is a term to describe a level of deafness in one ear, and the deafness can range from mild to profound in the ear concerned. as a rule, children and young people with unilateral deafness manage well at home and in social and educational settings.
Possible difficulties resulting from unilateral deafness are as follows:
- identifying sound sources, directions and distances
- discriminating speech sounds in the presence of background noise
- language gaps as a result of missed overhearing
- tiredness from extra effort for listening; they will use lip-reading to assist listening
Health and safety risks for consideration:
- pay attention to care of both ears
- ear infections dealt with as soon as possible
- protect from sustained loud noises, e.g. slammed doors, inappropriate audio device volume
- attendance at any audiology appointments
Road Safety:
- perception of the direction and speed of traffic will be difficult for safe crossing of the road and for bike riding
Making listening easier
Speaker should:
- be positioned closest to the better ear where possible
- make sure the child or young person has your attention
- face child or young person and ensure eye contact at their eye level
- avoid standing with back to windows as it will make lip-reading difficult
- pay attention to pace and clarity of speech
- reduce background noise as much as possible
- check that the child or young person has understood you
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For further information or training, please contact your local Teacher of the Deaf.
Useful links
National Deaf Children’s Society website and materials available from www.ndcs.org.uk.