Did you know that ear infections are the number one reason children visit their doctor? Symptoms can include tugging on the ear, pain, fevers and difficulty hearing. Sometimes children’s symptoms are not visible or they may have vague pain the child isn’t able to explain. If you bring your young child for a speech therapy evaluation due to delayed talking or difficulty pronouncing sounds, one of the first questions you will be asked is if they have recently passed a hearing test. Why? Hearing problems can impact your child’s ability to develop language and speech skills.
A new smartphone app coming soon may be able to help you decide whether you need to take your child to the doctor. For more info, check out this article about the University of Washington scientists who developed the app.
By Barbara Bryant, CCC-SLP, Children’s Therapy
