A TEENAGER has spoken out about living with hearing loss that went undetected for years.
Teighan Stewart, 15, has shared her experience with the National Deaf Children’s Society to raise awareness, as new polling reveals that nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of UK adults said it can be difficult to tell when a child has mild deafness or hearing loss in one ear.
She was almost eight when her family discovered she had significant hearing loss in one ear, despite passing both her newborn and school hearing screenings.
Teighan, from Skipton, now wears CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signal) hearing aids, which help her hear sounds from her deaf side.
Teighan, when she was younger, with her more visible hearing aid (Image: Submitted)
While the aids provide support, she still finds it difficult to follow group conversations and often needs teachers to repeat themselves or checks with friends to ensure she hasn’t missed important information.
Her mother, Alison Stewart, said: "You can’t see hearing loss.
"You can’t assume that just because a child has hearing in one ear, they’re picking everything up."
The National Deaf Children’s Society warns that children may appear to be coping when, in reality, they are working much harder to follow conversations, especially in noisy or busy environments.
Teighan, when she was younger, with her more visible hearing aid (Image: Submitted)
Mild deafness can mean a child hears well in quiet settings but struggles when there is background noise or distance from the speaker.
Single-sided deafness refers to hearing loss in one ear, ranging from mild to profound.
Despite the challenges, Teighan has become a confident advocate for herself and other young people with hearing loss.
She openly tells people she is deaf, explains the support she needs at school, and has even delivered a deaf awareness assembly.
Her mother said: "Teighan has become really confident in explaining her deafness and letting people know what she needs.
"We’re very proud of how she speaks up for herself."
However, she emphasised that Teighan’s experience highlights the importance of not making assumptions about children who appear to be coping well.
Alison said: "Just because a child seems to be managing doesn’t mean they aren’t having to work much harder to hear and understand what’s going on around them."
Polling of 2,000 UK adults found that only 31 per cent felt they knew the signs of hearing loss in children.
Just 36 per cent agreed that mild or single-sided hearing loss could significantly affect a child’s daily life, while one in five (20 per cent) believed it had little or no impact.
The findings come as the National Deaf Children’s Society launches its What You See, What You Don’t campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the experiences of children with mild or single-sided deafness and help families access information, advice and services.
The charity stresses that these types of hearing loss can impact language development, literacy, concentration and social skills.
George Crockford, chief executive of the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: "The word 'mild' can make this level of hearing loss seem insignificant, and people may assume that a child with single-sided deafness will use their other ear to compensate.
"But that may not reflect the child’s experience."
Mr Crockford explained that children may miss parts of conversations, especially in noisy environments, and can come home exhausted from the extra effort of listening.
He said: "That’s what makes mild or single-sided deafness so easy to underestimate.
"But with the right understanding and support, children can do really well."
Simple adjustments, such as reducing background noise, ensuring the child can see the speaker’s face, and considering classroom seating, can make a real difference, the charity said.
The National Deaf Children’s Society is encouraging families of children with mild or single-sided deafness to learn more about available support and the adjustments that can help at home, in education, and in social situations.
Families seeking information or advice can contact the National Deaf Children’s Society Helpline on 0808 800 8880 or visit www.ndcs.org.uk/about-us/helpline.