School Ready? What if your child struggles to hear well in the classroom
Are you already starting to think about the inevitable back to school moment? New shoes, new uniform, new stationery. But there’s one thing that often doesn’t make it onto the back-to-school checklist: checking whether your child can hear properly in the classroom.
Hearing well at school matters. A child who is missing sounds, even partially, will find it harder to follow instructions, keep up with reading and phonics, and take part in group activities. They may not complain, because for them it’s simply how things have always sounded. The difficulty can go unnoticed for a long time.
Now is a good moment to think about it, before the new school year begins.
What might you have noticed over the summer?
Children who spend a lot of time swimming can be more prone to earwax build-up by the end of the summer. Water affects the ear canal’s natural self-cleaning mechanism, and by late August some children’s hearing is slightly muffled as a result. If your child has been in and out of the pool or the sea over the holidays, it’s worth bearing in mind.
More generally, the things to watch for are: turning the volume up on screens, seeming slower to respond when spoken to, asking you to repeat yourself more than usual, or appearing less engaged in conversation. In younger children who can’t tell you what’s wrong, pulling or rubbing at one ear can also be a sign.
What should you do?
The first stop is always your GP. At Meadows & Wood, we work with adults only. Our earwax removal and hearing assessment services are for patients aged 18 and over. But we’re always happy to help families understand what they’re seeing and point them in the right direction.
For children with suspected hearing difficulties, your GP can refer to NHS children’s audiology services. For families in Bristol and across North Somerset, the Bristol Children’s Hearing Centre is the specialist NHS service for children, and your GP can refer directly. If your child’s school has raised concerns about their hearing or attention in class, mention this to the GP when you go, as it can help the referral move more quickly.
A word about earwax in children
Earwax is a common and often overlooked cause of temporary hearing difficulty in children. For young children, a little olive oil dripped into the ear can help soften and loosen wax naturally. That said, we’d always suggest seeing your GP before trying home treatment, particularly if the child is very young or if you are not sure what’s causing the problem. There can be things going on behind the wax that aren’t visible from outside.
When they turn 18
Once a young person reaches 18, we’re here for them just as we are for all our adult patients. Hearing screenings, earwax removal by microsuction or irrigation, full hearing assessments and hearing aid fitting are all available across our clinics in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Shirehampton and Clevedon.
If you’re unsure where to start, give us a call. We’ll always give you an honest steer, even when the answer is to send you somewhere else.
