Signs of a possible hearing difficulty may include a child or young person:

• not responding when their name is called
• not contributing much in class
• not seeming to follow what is being said in class, or misunderstanding instructions
• struggling to concentrate, particularly when people are talking
• appearing to find school exhausting
• using behaviour as a way to mask their difficulties or as an expression of frustration
• watching the teacher’s face very closely when he or she is speaking
• asking for information to be repeated or saying ‘What?’ a lot
• using too loud or too quiet a voice
• watching others do something before attempting it themselves
• becoming increasingly withdrawn from others in the classroom
• having delayed speech and communication development
• mishearing or mispronouncing words, which may affect reading
• not being able to hear what’s happening if there is any background noise

Where to seek help?