While bilateral hearing loss – in both ears – has been known to cause speech-language and academic delays, health and education professionals have often discounted the effect of hearing loss in a single ear on a child’s language skills. These children may not be fitted with hearing aids or receive accommodations for disability.

A new study suggests children with unilateral hearing loss – in a single ear – should be eligible for the same accommodations as children with bilateral hearing loss. The study, “Unilateral Hearing Loss is Associated With Worse Speech-Language Scores in Children,” published in the June print issue of Pediatrics (appearing online May 10), compared 74 children ages 6 to 12 years with unilateral hearing loss to their siblings with normal hearing. Children with unilateral hearing loss scored significantly worse in oral language skills than their siblings.

Study authors suggest more research is needed to determine when the onset of speech-language delays occurs and the mechanisms through which unilateral hearing loss affects speech-language development, and whether any interventions might mitigate the effects of unilateral hearing loss. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.