By Devangi Dalal - National Awardee, Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathologist
World Deaf Day is not just an occasion to talk about hearing loss. It is an opportunity to look at what happens when hearing loss in children is identified early, and what can happen when it is not. After more than three decades of working with children and adults with hearing loss, I have seen how timely intervention can influence a child’s communication, education, confidence and ability to participate independently in society.
Hearing plays an important role in a child’s development. It supports the development of speech and language, learning and social interaction. When hearing loss is identified late, children may miss valuable periods of language development. According to the World Health Organization, around 95.1 million children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 globally live with hearing loss. These are not simply statistics; behind each number is a child whose ability to communicate and learn can be significantly influenced by the support they receive.
The good news is that families today have access to technologies that were not available to previous generations. Hearing aids, cochlear implants and other hearing technologies can provide access to sound for children who are appropriate candidates. However, technology alone is not enough. I often remind parents that receiving a hearing device is only the beginning of the journey. A child has to learn to listen, understand and process sound, and connect what they hear with language and meaning. This requires consistent use of the device along with appropriate auditory, speech and language rehabilitation.
Early intervention is therefore not the responsibility of one professional or one institution. Audiologists, speech-language pathologists, ENT specialists, educators and families all have an important role to play. The earlier a concern is identified, the sooner families can understand their options and begin the appropriate intervention. Fitting a hearing device should not be viewed as the end of treatment; it should be seen as the beginning of a child's communication and rehabilitation journey.
It is equally important that conversations around hearing loss recognise that every child is different. There is no single communication pathway that is right for every child. Sign language is an important language and a meaningful communication option used to be for many Deaf people earlier but now families should have access to information about all appropriate choices. At the same time, when a child is an appropriate candidate for hearing technology and has the potential to develop spoken communication with rehabilitation, that opportunity should be made available as early as possible. Parents need information, professional guidance and the freedom to make informed decisions based on their child's individual needs.
Several factors can influence a child's communication journey, including the type and degree of hearing loss, the age at which it is identified, access to appropriate technology, regular rehabilitation, family involvement and the child's educational environment. This is why personalised intervention is so important. What works for one child may not necessarily work in exactly the same way for another.
There is also a larger social conversation that we need to have. Hearing loss should not automatically be associated with dependence or limited potential. With timely intervention and the right support, many children with hearing loss can develop the skills they need to communicate, learn, build relationships and eventually participate independently in professional and social life. The objective of hearing care should therefore go beyond simply providing access to sound. It should be about helping a child build the communication skills and confidence they need to participate fully in the world around them.
My message to parents on World Deaf Day is simple: if you have concerns about your child's hearing or speech, do not wait. Get the child's hearing tested, consult qualified professionals, understand the available options and begin intervention as early as possible if it is recommended. Early action cannot promise the same outcome for every child, but it can give families something extremely important, more time, more opportunities and more choices.
Inclusion is not simply about accommodating people with hearing loss. It is about creating an environment where children have the opportunity to communicate, learn, contribute and become as independent as possible. Every child deserves that opportunity, and as parents, professionals and as a society, we have a responsibility to ensure that valuable developmental opportunities are not lost because intervention came too late.
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