Mrs. Berkheiser
Speech

MARCH 2010

Parents often ask, "Why doesn't my child speak more clearly?" There are many answers to that question, but sometimes speech is impacted by the occurrence of middle ear infections called otitis media. In fact, this is among the most frequently diagnosed conditions in children under the age of three years. When fluid is present, the child may need tubes inserted to drain fluid from the middle ear. It can take several weeks for a child to return to normal hearing even with the use of antibiotics.

Can you imagine hearing all sounds muffled--almost as if you were underwater? That is how it has been described by someone with chronic hearing problems. Hearing losses due to otitis media can be temporary or permanent. Hearing screenings may not detect the loss because of its fluctuating and subtle nature.

Even a slight decrease in hearing can affect a child's ability to listen in the classroom and other environments. Decreased listening ability may result in articulation, language, reading, or other academic delays. Though the child may appear to hear what is said, word discrimination may be difficult. For example, to the hearing impaired child, "Point to the first picture," may sound like, "Point to the third picture." All children should be encouraged to watch the speaker's face for visual cues.

Symptoms of otitis media include earache, lethargy, fever, difficulty hearing, discharge from the ear, and itchiness around the ear. If any of these are noticed, further investigation is warranted.

Email: kberkheiser@franklintwpschools.org