Hearing Impairment

Impaired hearing occurs more frequently among those with cerebral palsy than in the general population. Recent studies have shown that up to 15 percent of children with cerebral palsy also have some kind of hearing impairment.

Hearing problems are usually grouped into two types. These are conductive and sensorineural. Conductive hearing loss means that there is a problem with the middle or outer ear, which prevents the sound from physically reaching the healthy auditory nerve. Sensorineural hearing loss is damage to the auditory nerve or inner ear, preventing the brain from receiving the correct signals.

Both types of hearing loss may be present in the child with cerebral palsy, and an examination by a well-trained paediatric audiologist can help measure the extent and type of hearing loss.

Children who have severe hearing impairments often have a delay in developing language skills. This is due to the lack of auditory cues required for normal language development.