The impact of hearing loss for children and young people NICE guidelines recognise that ‘a child who is born deaf within a hearing family or for a person who becomes deaf and is used to functioning in a hearing environment, deafness can have a significant impact on their quality of life. For children, deafness may have significant consequences for linguistic, cognitive, emotional, educational and social development.’ [15] Below is a summary of some of the key impacts that hearing loss can have on a child or young person’s life, in the absence of early and effective support to develop language and communication skills, whether that is spoken language, sign language or both. Spoken Language A number of studies[16] show that oral language skills for deaf children are lower than those of hearing children. One project, as part of the Literacy and Deafness Development Research Lab (LADDER) longitudinal study, found that hearing children had higher raw scores on all spoken language measures in preschool compared to deaf children. The project further noted that, whilst deaf and hearing children made progress on their scores between pre-school and reception at the same rate, deaf children were unable to close the gap and catch up with their hearing peers[17]. Educational attainment Deafness is not a learning disability. Most children with hearing loss have the potential to reach the same educational outcomes as hearing children if they have appropriate support. However, if there is a language delay, this can affect both children’s literacy and numeracy, and research has shown that deaf children are falling behind their hearing peers in educational attainment and are not achieving the outcomes in language and communication we know are possible. A study in 2017 funded by the Nuffield Foundation reported that 48% of oral children aged between 10 and 11 years were reading below age level[18]. Analysis of 2022’s GCSE results by the National Deaf Children’s Society shows that deaf pupils in England have now achieved an entire GCSE grade less than hearing peers for at least seven years in a row. Just 37.7% of deaf children gained a grade 5 in key subjects English and Maths, compared to 49.8% of hearing children[19]. Similar analysis for Key Stage 2 results showed that only 40% of deaf children achieved the expected standard for reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 2 compared to 59% of all children[19]. Figures show that deaf children are not ‘catching up’ from their lower starting points as they move through secondary school[20]. Furthermore, an early language delay can continue to jeopardise future educational outcomes for deaf children. In 2024 results from the early years foundation stage (EYFS) profile show that for deaf five-year olds in England, 42% achieved a “good level of development” in key areas like literacy, mathematics and communication by the time they start school, compared to 68%[21] of all children. Mental, emotional and behavioural outcomes There are numerous studies, both nationally and internationally, that indicate children with hearing loss are more likely to experience mental health, behavioural and emotional difficulties due to the unique challenges caused by deafness. In 2004 the Department of Health found that over 40% of children with permanent hearing loss are estimated to have mental health difficulties at some point in childhood and early adulthood, compared with 25% of hearing children.[22] In addition, children who have hearing loss are also at greater risk of experiencing social isolation, loneliness and difficulty with peer relationships[23]. In 2011, an Australian study concluded ‘that children with hearing problems face multiple concurrent health and developmental problems. Moreover, children with hearing problems exhibit behavioural problems when they do not understand what is going on around them. Without appropriate interventions, these children are at risk of developing mental health disorders.’[24] Additional research in 2011 highlighted how the lack of access to language has an impact on the emotional development of children[25]. Employment outcomes According to recent employment figures deaf people are less likely to be in employment than their hearing peers[26]. The employment rate for those with hearing loss is 65%, compared to 79% of people with no long-term health issue or disability. In addition, on average, people with hearing loss are paid £2,000 less per year than the general population; this amounts to £4 billion per year in lost income across the UK[27]. A 2019 study from Brunel University looking at the impact of hearing loss and evaluating the costs states that ‘data from Australia, the USA and the UK show that hearing impaired people are overrepresented in low-income groups, and that household income decreases as the severity of hearing loss increases. Reasons for this are that in general people with hearing impairment work fewer hours and for lower rates of pay than people with normal hearing; they are thus overrepresented in lower status and lower paid jobs.’ [28] Manage Cookie Preferences