ORG02 Recognising Possible Hearing Loss
Hearing difficulties are not always obvious. Changes in communication, response or participation can be misunderstood unless staff consider whether hearing may be part of the picture.
Five things to consider
Notice changes in response
A person may respond inconsistently, ask for repetition or appear not to hear particular staff.
Look at the environment
Background noise, distance, position and competing conversations can make hearing much harder.
Notice communication strategies
Watching faces closely, turning one ear towards a speaker or relying on familiar voices can be useful clues.
Consider participation
Withdrawal from groups, telephone calls or conversation may reflect difficulty hearing rather than lack of interest.
Notice, ask, do not assume
Explore what the person experiences before labelling behaviour as ignoring, refusing or being difficult.
Turning this into practical action
✓ Reduce background noise and face the person when speaking.
✓ Ask whether some voices, situations or environments are easier to hear than others.
✓ Record the circumstances in which communication becomes difficult.
✓ Share useful communication approaches consistently with the staff team.
What this can look like in practice
A person responds reliably to one worker but appears to ignore another. Instead of assuming preference or behaviour, staff check positioning, background noise and communication style and discover that the second worker’s voice is harder for the person to hear.
Question for your organisation
If a person stopped responding consistently to staff, would your team explore hearing and communication before labelling the behaviour?
Important boundary
These signs do not confirm hearing loss. Staff should not diagnose. New or sudden hearing changes should be responded to appropriately.
Want to take this further?
Recognising possible hearing difficulty should lead to better questions, clearer recording and an appropriate next step. If this resource has highlighted gaps in your organisation’s sensory practice, Sensory Visionaries can help, from reviewing what you currently have in place to providing a structured approach through the Sensory Compliance System.