Understanding Hearing Loss and Strategies for Prevention and Intervention of Hearing Impairment

The ability to perceive sound is called 'hearing'. This is possible when the ear senses the vibrations of sound in solid, liquid and gaseous substances. The ear helps us to recognize various kinds of sounds. The child starts hearing soon after birth. These sounds get imprinted on his mind and brain. These imprinted sounds become the basis of the child's knowledge of language. The child communicates through language only. Communication is an important basis for the growth of knowledge. If the child's hearing ability is normal, then his development in speech, language, communication and other areas takes place normally. But if the child has difficulty in hearing, and there is no early identification and intervention, then his development in speech, language, communication and other areas is limited in comparison to a hearing child of the same age group. Therefore, early identification and intervention of hearing impairment is absolutely necessary. Many stages have to be passed in the process of early identification and intervention. This article discusses sequentially the aspects related to understanding hearing loss, prevention of hearing impairment, and intervention.