Australian game tests children for hearing loss and disorders

A new app and testing is hoped to help identify hearing problems in children earlier than usual.

According to research from the National Acoustics Laboratories it is common for children to start school with undiagnosed hearing problems.

An intervention program is being rolled out nationally to identify children with hearing problems including sensorineural loss, conductive loss, or auditory processing disorder.

The Federal Government has allocated $4 million to provide free testing for 600,000 children aged between fourand 17.

Parents can register their details to be notified when the free test sessions are available in January.

Scotch College’s junior campus head Ieva Hampson said particularly in the early years, hearing issues could impact a student’s ability to develop phonemic awareness.

“Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear specific sounds and then relate them to letters and then hear them within words so it’s fundamental to reading and writing,” Ms Hampson said.

Full article at ABC News

One response to “Australian game tests children for hearing loss and disorders”

  1. bridgebuddy Avatar

    That’s wonderful news for Australian children…so critical! I learned to read before attending school but my second grade teacher realized I was missing some phonetic sounds and tutored me after school 30 minutes a day three times a week for a semester (she was kind, too). Then I became an excellent reader! I owe so much to that wonderful teacher and can still picture her all these years later!

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I’m Daniel

Welcome to Talking Hearing Loss—your community and resource hub for navigating the world of hearing loss. Whether you’re personally experiencing some degree of hearing loss and need reassurance that you’re not alone in your silence, or you’re a family member or friend looking to better understand what hearing loss means for someone you care about, you’ve come to the right place. Here, I share stories, insights, and support to help everyone affected by hearing loss feel connected and informed.