Why Is Hearing Screening and Early Intervention So Important?

Early detection of hearing losses is vital as learning spoken or signed languages becomes harder the later the hearing loss is detected. Without good early language acquisition children are more likely to suffer poor educational and social outcomes.

Children in New Zealand who are born with hearing loss have had their hearing losses detected late meaning they fall behind their hearing peers in their development. This is not surprising as it can be very difficult for parents to detect a hearing loss in a young child.

Newborn hearing screening programmes have been implemented successfully in many countries and these have reduced the age children have their hearing losses identified.  Early detection of hearing problems can help minimise delays in a child’s ability to learn language.

Programmes require health and educational services to work together to ensure children get the right sort of help, at the right time, to ensure they can meet their potential.

In May 2006, the government announced that it would fund a newborn hearing screening and early intervention programme for all New Zealand children. Visit the newborn screening website for more information.

By June 2010, all 20 district health boards were screening newborns for hearing loss.

The NFD and Project HIEDI have been advocating for such a programme since 2002.  We’re still involved as the programme moves into the implementation phase.

Poor record in NZ for identifying hearing loss in children

New Zealand has had a very poor record of identifying hearing losses early among children.

In 2004, the average age of detecting hearing loss was nearly 4 years. That was for babies with moderate or greater degrees of hearing loss.

The internationally recommended age for identifying hearing loss is three months, with intervention starting before the child is six months. These timeframes result in the best possible outcome for the child and their family.